


When Tomorrow Comes

by SadieIRL



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gem Egg Hell, Gemlings, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rebellion, Torture, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-08 14:53:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11648898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadieIRL/pseuds/SadieIRL
Summary: The original mission was to get to Homeworld and rescue Lars and the Off-Color gems...they didn't plan on getting separated or captured.  They never planned on uncovering the reasons behind Yellow Diamond's gem breeding program.  And they certainly never planned a rebellion...but when they realize they and those they left behind on Homeworld are being affected by this, the Crystal Gems and their allies have no choice but to work together and go up against Yellow Diamond before her plans hurt anyone else.COMPLETE!





	1. Sapphire

**Author's Note:**

> I actually got this idea about a year or so ago but didn't really have a good reason for them to visit Homeworld - well, now with Lars being stuck there, that became a reason for them to go and I've been slowly plugging away at this story. The first couple of chapters are short and then I'll get into longer ones.  
> I have not added relationship tags because there are elements of surprise with these relationships.  
> I must also mention I normally don't post until a fanfic is done, but I'll try something new here and post as I write. My main reasoning for this is I may go back and change something but I think I have this fic pretty well planned out. We'll see if this keeps me motivated to finish - as always, expressed interest will keep me writing so kudos and comments are appreciated.  
> This fic is NOT related to any smutty short stories I may have posted or any of my human A/U fics, however, it does take my story "Peridot" into account - when it comes to it, I will very briefly sum up Peridot's backstory, but if you'd like the whole thing that fic is available.  
> Steven Universe is the property of Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network that I am borrowing for this fan project.

** Sapphire **

_In a moment, those doors will open and I want you all to remember what I’m about to tell you._

_You, find your friends._

_You, find your family._

_You, run as fast as your legs will carry you and be clever._

_You, don’t fight – it will only hurt worse._

_You, it will all be okay._

_And Ruby…I love you._

_*_

                Those words kept repeating in her head in a voice she did not recognize.  She had put a hand she didn’t remember she had to her chest.  Half of her had reflected confusion and fear; the other half felt acceptance and sorrow, but such was fate…

                It may have been a dream since she had been sleeping, which was odd because Sapphire never slept.  Though according to any timepiece she might see, it was nighttime, gems didn’t need sleep.  She had woken up in comfortable quarters in Blue Diamond’s domain on Homeworld feeling a bit confused.  She was home and in a safe place.  Why had she felt fear in her dream or vision? 

                “Your Clarity, it is an honor to see you here today,” a high, proper said.

                Sapphire knew without turning around that it was Aquamarine, but she couldn’t tear herself away from the window.  Whose voice was it she heard in her head?  It had the same proper tone as Aquamarine’s, but was deeper and not as snooty.  “The stars are so pretty from here.”

                The smaller gem joined her at the window.  “I suppose so.”

                “Where is your body guard?”

                “They came and took Topaz.  Something about breeding her.” 

                Sapphire’s mind still felt fuzzy but she remembered back when they used to breed gems…they had stopped to focus solely on growing them in the ground.  “Breed her?”

                “Yes, Yellow Diamond started the program back up again a few years ago.  Topaz was one of the first to volunteer.” 

                “So…are they making Sapphires this way?”

                Aquamarine laughed.  “Of course not, Your Clarity.  Yellow Diamond is only interested in military gems, so she’s breeding quartzes, topazes…possibly rubies…you know, gems suited for an army.”

                “Rubies…” Sapphire repeated thoughtfully.

_Ruby, I love you…_


	2. Steven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another short one - the next one will be longer and will bring us into the meat of the story :)

** Steven **

_You, find your friends._

                It wasn’t the first time he’d ever had to do a mission alone and as he made his way through the abandoned Kindergarten, he reminded himself that he wouldn’t be alone for long.  He remembered the scary events of the trial he’d had to endure…and the heartbreaking events that followed.  Still, he couldn’t wait to find Lars and the others and tell them what had happened.  As far as he knew, only he, Ruby and Amethyst had escaped and hopefully they had found a ship to go seek Amethyst’s family.  Peridot had run in the other direction, but whether she got away, he didn’t know. 

                “Lars!  Rutile!”  Wind whistling through the Kindergarten was his only answer.  Last time, he’d had Lars by his side, but now he had to be brave.  If only Connie could have come with them, but it was deemed too dangerous.

“Too dangerous?” Connie had asked.  “Too dangerous for me?  You’re taking her!”  And she’d pointed an accusatory finger at Jasper.

“She…kind of owes me one…” Steven had explained.  And that was one of two reasons she was going – Steven had cured her corruption, giving her body and mind back to her exactly as they were…that and Lapis had refused to return to Homeworld.  And so, Jasper agreed to be their ally on this mission at least – she made no promises once they returned to Earth.

 The mission was to retrieve Lars and the off-colors if possible, but before they could leave the ship, Garnet had a vision of the future that they’d be separated and gave the only advice she could to each of them.  She knew she’d be separated; she knew they’d go after Jasper right away and paralyze her, thinking the rest all easy targets.  Amethyst had grabbed Ruby’s hand and sprinted off while the latter cried out for Sapphire.  Ruby, being a soldier, was the best choice if one of them were to get away.  Peridot ran as fast as she could and before Steven knew it, she seemed to have disappeared.  Steven used his shield to deflect the guards trying to attack. 

                “Steven just go!”  Pearl had cried.  

                And so, Steven had jumped out a nearby window and floated down to Homeworld’s surface, doing his best to stay hidden until he found an entrance to the Kindergarten.  He wondered what they might be doing to Sapphire, Jasper and Pearl.  He couldn’t dwell on it though; he had to find the off-colors.  Then, a movement caught his attention and he sprinted toward it, almost certain he knew who it was.  “Rhodonite!” 

                She peeked her head out of a hole.  “Steven!  What are you doing back here?”

                “We came here for you, but first I need your help – all of you.”

                “Come with me.” 

                Steven followed her through winding corridors of rock, past the birthplaces of hundreds – maybe thousands – of gems.  Finally, they emerged into an open area where he was greeted by the others.  Lars gave him a hug.  “Steven!  Never thought I’d be happy to see you.”

                He gave a quick laugh; he and Lars had only really become friends after he’d revived the human and turned him possibly immortal.  “I know.  We’ve come to take you home, but things didn’t go exactly as planned…”

                Padparadscha ran up excitedly.  “I’ve had a vision!  Steven will return to us!”

                “I’m right here, Paddy.”  He turned to all of them and explained what we going on.  “We really need your help.”

                “You mean…out there?”  Rhodonite was shaking.

                “I know it’s scary but it’s your chance to get out of here and to a safe place yourselves,” Steven explained.  “And we’ll all be in this together.”

                “Of course we’re with you, Steven.”  Lars put a supportive hand on the boy’s shoulder.  “Where should we start?”

                “We need someone who knows the ins and outs of Homeworld, someone who can help us get around and gather our friends.  We need to find Peridot.”

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Topaz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where we get into the meat of the story and some of the non-con material.

** Topaz **

_You’ve been selected._

                It was the first time she’d ever heard those words since being approved for the breeding experiments.  She could hardly contain her excitement, but no matter how she felt on the inside, she had to keep it together on the outside as she followed the technician to the medical area.  She could only imagine the gemlings that would come of this.  She thought of how it would feel to carry the eggs inside of her; how she wanted to be there when the geodes hatched.  Maybe they’d split her and she’d have the gemlings with herself…oh, she could only hope. 

                She was lead to the medical area and ushered into a private room.  The peridot technician began arranging vials and needles on a tray.  “This won’t hurt much.” 

                Someone in a nearby room was screaming, which didn’t put Topaz at ease.  “Shouldn’t I get undressed?  You have to get the eggs ready, don’t you?” 

                The technician made a screen appear with her floating fingers and double checked the information.  “No, you’re the sire in this coupling.” She could see Topaz was a little let down.  “Don’t worry – that means you have the easy job.  You’re bigger anyway, so of course it would be that way.” 

                “I’ve never done this before…”  Not sex, no, she’d done that – mostly with herself. 

                “It’s a simple combination of shape shifting and hormones.  The first injection is the hormones that will put you in a state of heat within a couple of hours, the second to allow your shape shifting cells to form the necessary parts and the third to ensure you produce a good amount of seed.”  She administered the first injection.

                “And my partner…who is she?”

                “You’ll find out in good time.”  

                “Why don’t you give that information?” 

                The technician’s finger tapped against the second syringe coaxing the bubbles to the top.  “Because if you know them, or don’t like them, you won’t back out.  By the time you go in and see her, you’ll be so riled up that just the scent of her will have you two mating before you can think.”  She poked the needle into Topaz’s arm.  “Just remember this is for Yellow Diamond and the Diamond Authority.  We need more soldiers and we can’t grow them like we used to.”

                Thousands of years ago, breeding was common, happening naturally, but when Homeworld had success making quality gems from the sediment of planetary colonies, they outlawed breeding and even sex in general, though it still happened especially with the older gems.  Some gems were forbidden from love even, like lowly peridots and pearls – and it was frowned upon even for gems of other castes too.  As she felt the third injection go in, Topaz wondered if the Era Two gems even had the necessary parts for sex or breeding. 

                “That’s it.  We’ll have you wait here for the time being and whatever you do, don’t touch yourself.  If it becomes an issue, let us know and we’ll restrain you.”

                How intense was this heat going to be?  Sure, she’d been horny before but if it happened at an inopportune time, she could control it.  This sounded like it would be animalistic and overpowering.  Would they remember it?  Would it hurt her partner?  Would she even care at that point?  The technician had her phase her uniform off and cover up with a gown.  Topaz already felt the changes going on in her body starting with finding the technician slightly more beautiful than before and a definite bulge forming between her legs.  “If this succeeds can you at least tell me what my gemlings will be?”

                “If we’re correct with this pairing, we’ll get tiger’s eye.”

                Topaz raised an eyebrow.  Her partner was not another topaz.  So, fusion between different types of gems was forbidden, but not mating?  That made very little sense, but whoever her partner was, part of her was longing for her already.  The technician left and a different one came back, holding something out to Topaz.  It was a lock of hair – pale and soft.  As if something else was controlling her, Topaz held it under her nose and inhaled deeply.  She could smell the other gem’s pheromones…she smelled red dirt and sandstone…

                The technician cut a small lock of Topaz’s hair and disappeared again.

                She ran her fingers along the lock of hair.  Hopefully the gemlings would have their carrier’s hair.  She imagined what it must look like and the bulge below grew larger taking form as a penis she’d only have temporarily for a few hours.  Her hands shook; she twisted the hair around her finger.  How long had it been since the injections?  Half an hour?  An hour?  She could feel change taking place not only in her body but her mind.  All her thoughts were of this gem she hadn’t even seen.  She sniffed the hair again.  She could practically feel the hormones raging through her making her feel like she’d go mad if she didn’t see this gem…touch her…

                This WAS mad…she didn’t even KNOW this gem.  How could she be having these feelings only having a lock of her hair?  How was this normal?  It wasn’t.  She loved herself…but this wasn’t about love.  It was about the exchange of genetic material.  The testicles she had shapeshifted felt heavy and her penis was getting hard.  Damn it…it was going to be hard not to touch it and determined not to mess up all their hard work, she asked the technician to restrain her.  Soft cuffs were placed around her wrists so her hands were behind her back.  What had she been told?  Two hours?  She kept her eyes on the screen with the timer on it.  She shifted, which didn’t help as the gown she wore rubbed against her tip.  She groaned. 

                “Soon, don’t worry,” the peridot said. 

                Damn it…she’d even fuck the technician at this point.  She was still holding the lock of hair and rubbed it between her fingers.  Soon…

                Finally, when she felt like she might not be able to calm the burning feeling in her any longer, another technician entered and said: “She’s ready.”

                Topaz was lead to the next room…the room she’d heard the screaming from.  The door was opened before the technician undid Topaz’s restraints and allowed her to enter.  The other gem was laying on a table with her knees bent, draped with a sheet, so Topaz couldn’t see her clearly.  She took off her gown after she heard the closing of the door.  She knew she had only a few moments of clarity in her mind before the hormones completely took over.  She took a deep breath, noticing immediately something was off.  The other gem was restrained – hands cuffed to the table and legs immobilized in that position.   Topaz’s breath caught in her throat.  This wasn’t right at all; this gem was a prisoner and likely had not agreed to this. 

                But…this was for the Diamond Authority…for her Diamond…and the hormones were making her unable to resist temptation.  She approached the table and slowly removed the sheet.  Stars, she was beautiful.  Topaz climbed easily onto the table, on top of her.  _Don’t look her in the eyes_ , she told herself.  _Just do it and be done with it._

                Topaz allowed her hand to run through the other gem’s mane of hair and she leaned in close hanging on to her mind by only threads at this point.  She shuddered as she bent in close and got a whiff of that hair as she did so.  She could feel the other gem’s body trembling with fear.  “Forgive me,” she whispered.  “I’m only following orders.” 

                Her muscles stiffened and she needed this…wanted it…NOW!  She couldn’t hold off any longer.  _Don’t look in her eyes._  

                But she did…just before the hormones enslaved her and she began an act she knew she’d regret…she looked up right into the terrified eyes of Yellow Diamond’s highest general.

*

                It had lasted an hour and she’d spent time after in shock at what she’d done.  She knew she had hurt the other gem.  She knew she had…she’d had little control even though she’d tried.  Topaz had wanted to free her of her restraints, but she was afraid of the other gem’s reaction.  Even as the hormones took hold of her in an overpowering way, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew this was all wrong.  This should not be happening…to either of them.  Breeding was supposed to be mutual.  Both partners were supposed to agree to it.   When it was over, Topaz had placed a gentle kiss on her partner’s lips and whispered into her hair.  “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”

                Topaz could tell herself all she wanted that she had no control over her actions, but maybe if she’d been stronger-willed she could have fought the spell the injections put her under.  The feeling had waned but was still there and would be – along with her temporary parts – for a few more hours.  She’d been instructed not to mate with any other gems at the risk of having gemlings that were defective.

                And Topaz had wanted gemlings, but not like this.  She’d wanted to be a carrier – to feel life growing inside her.  Even being a sire she didn’t think it would feel like that.  Whatever they’d injected her with had turned her into a monster – it had made her hurt someone else…someone she knew…

                Well, she honestly couldn’t say she really knew her.  They’d sat in the same room during strategy meetings, trained together, fought alongside each other, but the general was hardly chatty and they likely hadn’t exchanged more than ten words to each other.  She was strength and smarts; brawn and beauty.  With her commanding presence, she should have been a sire for a weaker gem.  So why had she been reduced to being a carrier? 

                Because she had done something, Topaz realized.  Something that angered Yellow Diamond.  And if Topaz hadn’t followed through with this, she would have come under her Diamond’s anger as well.  How could her Diamond do this?  How could she sentence someone to this kind of punishment?

                _That’s a dangerous thought pattern_ , Topaz told herself.  She could not question her Diamond; her Diamond was reasonable and whatever the general had done…well, she must’ve deserved it.  Besides, it was not Yellow Diamond who had tied anyone up, had injected them with serums, had made Topaz do the unthinkable.  No…it was the technicians who worked under her.  The lowly technicians that Topaz would not get in trouble for hurting…the technicians she could take her anger out on without fear of retaliation from those higher up. 

                The peridots.

                No one would care if one disappeared for a while…or permanently.  And it did not matter if that particular one was involved in this or not.  They randomly selected breeders…why not randomly select one of them for ‘punishment’?  It would send a message to the rest of them that, doing their job or not, hurting other gems was never okay.

                Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one ducking into a room and sliding the door closed.  Topaz stood outside the door for a moment listening for sounds, but the only ones she heard were electronic, likely from a computer.  She pressed her hand against the door pad gaining access to the room. 

                The peridot looked over at her in surprise as though it was unusual for her to be there.  Well, it was, but this one was eyeing her a little too suspiciously.  Topaz made sure the door was shut and punched in the code to lock it.  Was she really going to do this?  Then she remembered what she had been made to do under the influence of the serum…of the hormones still in her…administered by peridots.  Yes, she was going to do this.  She marched up to the smaller gem and grabbed her by the neck, shoving her against a wall.  “You think you can play with others like toys?  Use your science to make us do what you want?  What the Diamonds want?” 

                “I-I don’t know…” her nasal voice was strained; the floating fingers of her limb enhancers grabbed Topaz’s wrist but the larger gem was too strong.

                “Well, now I’m going to do what I want!  Now you’re going to feel what it’s like to have no control!”  Topaz dropped the green gem unceremoniously on the floor, her limb enhancers clanging.  She gave her a swift kick to the chest. 

                “Please, I’m not…”

                “Shut up!  Disarm your defenses now!”

                The technician pressed a few buttons on her limb enhancers so she no longer could put up much of a fight.  “L-listen, we can talk about this…we can be logical about th-this.” 

                Topaz picked her up again, holding her against the wall with a hand to her chest.  “Is it logical to breed two gems against their will?”

                “I’m not part of the breeding program.  I’m a kindergartener.” 

                “You are just like them.” 

                “I am not!  Now put me down you thick-headed clod!” 

                Topaz pressed against her harder.  It would be easy to crush her chest…poof her.  She focused on the gem in the peridot’s forehead.  “You do exactly as I say, or I’ll shatter you.”

                She felt between the small gem’s legs but found nothing.  Just as she had suspected – Era Two gems were not even made with those parts.  “You can’t shape shift, can you?”

                “Of course not.  What kind of moronic question is that?”

                She hit the green gem across the face.  “You have quite a mouth on you, don’t you?”  Then she focused on it and traced those soft lips with her thumb.  “You have a mouth.”

                Topaz pushed the peridot to the floor in a kneeling position and undid her pants.  Yep, it was still there and looking into the small gem’s fearful eyes only reminded her of what they’d made her do.  She grabbed the technician by her pale yellow hair and forced herself inside that mouth.  “You bite me and you’re shattered, got it?”  

                She received a nod in response before pounding herself in that wet chasm…bumping against the soft back of the peridot’s throat, feeling that tongue against her.  Topaz seized either side of the other gem’s head.  It would be easy to crush it, to poof her…to shatter her.  Maybe she would afterwards.  Topaz grunted enjoying the feeling, both of dominance and of her tip grazing that soft, wet tissue.  It wasn’t long before she moved the peridot’s head faster, ignoring her noises of protest and finally released.  She shoved the ruined gem away leaving her coughing and gagging on the floor.  “How does it feel?” 

                Before she could answer, there was a loud banging on the door, and then another that broke the door from its place and caused it to crash to the floor.  Topaz took a step back as the gem before her surveyed the scene putting together what had happened.  “What?  I wasn’t enough?”

                She was staring into the rage-filled eyes of Yellow Diamond’s general.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel slightly bad for writing Topaz in such a way but before I hear cries of: "Our sweet cinnamon roll!" - she still is; this does not change that. While it does not erase what she did, Yellow Diamond is having the techs use serums and hormones as a way to control these gems.   
> Please also keep in mind that we don't really know a lot about Topaz - she's only had one speaking episode in the entire series and in that episode it's very clear she does things she doesn't agree with because if not there are consequences. I definitely plan on developing her character more later on.


	4. Peridot

** Peridot  **

_You, run as fast as your legs will carry you and be clever._

                And she had.  The moment they had rendered Garnet and Jasper useless, Peridot sprinted away, sliding between the legs of a guard, kicking in a vent opening and crawling into it.  She used the system of ladders and tubes to make her way through the building.  She was so used to freedom on Earth, she’d never wanted to come back to Homeworld, but being a Crystal Gem now, she was part of the mission.  She knew how to repair ships and fly them better than Pearl.  She knew the ins and outs of Homeworld, too and had already told Steven where he might find who he called the ‘off color gems’. 

                Still…she worried now what they would do to those they’d captured.  She had not been the most obedient technician at one point and she’d paid for it.  Her supervisor had it out for her.  She was caught using tech for non-work related purposes and she was beaten for it.  She was caught singing and they’d done something to her voice to make it nasal and unpleasant.  She insisted on being called a nickname, on individuality and she was whipped for it.  She fell in love…for that she’d been imprisoned, tortured for days and her significant other was shattered before her eyes.  As for her, they’d altered her mind, leaving the torture, but hiding the reasons why.  After that, she’d obeyed.  She followed every order given to her without question or complaint. 

                It wasn’t until she’d been stranded on Earth and formed an alliance with the Crystal Gems that she was finally able to break from that.  She could be herself – be free – say and do what she wanted without fear of being hurt.  And slowly as Steven had taught her about music, about oceans, about friendship and love, her mind began remembering and she began to put those broken memories together until she knew her whole past again.  Peridot thought back to all the times she’d asked Steven if unfamiliar objects were weapons, so afraid these rebels would torture her.  Now she was a rebel and if she was discovered here…it would not end well. 

                She shimmied up a ladder, having crawled through the vents for a long time – an hour or longer possibly.  First of all, she’d need limb enhancers, otherwise she’d stick out.  Second, she needed to find out where they’d taken Gar…Sapphire, as she remembered they’d been split and Ruby had gone with Amethyst.  She also needed to find Jasper and Pearl.  Then, they needed to all somehow get back together with Steven and the off-colors if he found them.

                “I want you to find them…” came a calm, authoritative voice. 

                Peridot stopped moving and peeked out of a slot in the vent system.  She saw Yellow Diamond in her quarters discussing something…no, not something – them – with quartz soldiers. 

                Yellow Diamond moved around a few screens in front of her.  “The pearl, defective amethyst, ruby and peridot can all be shattered.  We have no use for them.  We’ll make it a public execution to send a warning to the masses.  Alter the sapphire’s memory and place her back in Blue Diamond’s court.  When you find Rose Quartz, you are to bring her to me.”

                “And what about the jasper?”  Another voice asked.  Peridot couldn’t see who it belonged to.

                “Already taken care of.” 

                “Yes, my Diamond.” 

                Peridot glanced around the room to see whatever she could and noticed a bubble floating up near the ceiling with a rose quartz gem inside.  Why would Yellow Diamond have one here?  That made no sense as Steven had said he’d seen a bunch of them in the human zoo compound.  Okay, so they were going to shatter them publically meaning Pearl was likely in the prison and Sapphire was somewhere in Blue Diamond’s domain, which presented a problem, but at least she was safe.  The other problem was that she had no idea where Jasper was and, honestly, some brute force could go a long way in this situation. 

                She didn’t have that…she was going to have to be clever.  At least with limb enhancers, she’d have defensive weapons, so she turned and followed the tunnels toward the medical labs.  She’d only been there to get her enhancers and have them updated every so often.  As a Kindergarten Tech, she was not involved in fixing gems or even making them…well, not that way.  Yes, shortly before she went to Earth, they’d started experiments to breed gems.  This made little sense and she’d never known that to be done, but apparently thousands of years ago, it was.  She’d peered into the nursery once where the peridots there were trying to keep the gemlings under control, but most of them were militant gems and peridots had nothing in the way of maternal instinct and little strength to keep these small, but powerful gems under control.  Especially not Era Two peridots like herself.

                She finally found her way and passing by a vent, she heard another peridot exclaim: “But it won’t work!”

                Peridot peeked through the slits in the vent and saw two of her former work mates talking, two she’d once considered such good friends they secretly gave each other names.  The one speaking was Spark since her limb enhancers constantly seemed to conduct static electricity and her hair stood on end.  The second she’d given the name Bright Eyes even though…well…she had no eyes.  She only had dark sockets with a glowing green light in them.  Peridot felt a bit bad about this.  She remembered being strapped to a table and whipped when she failed to answer the question about what her purpose was.  Bright Eyes had attempted to give her a clue and was quickly hit in the face with the electric whip, damaging her eyes beyond repair.  The lights in her sockets were no replacement; she could see within her mind the things required for work, could detect electronics and understand screens, but beyond that, she never saw anything again.  However, despite what had happened, they had become friends over the hundreds of years they’d worked together.

                “What do you mean?”  Bright Eyes asked.

                Spark held up a lock of short, yellow hair.  “The whole basis for the hormone induced euphoria is that they can detect each other’s pheromones, but how do we make it work if one of them can’t smell?”

                “Do we have a serum for that?”

                “No.  The trigger for the extreme heat is the induction of the pheromones, which have to go through the nasal passages.  I don’t know what to do.  They’ve already had everything done, but when I brought the lock of hair to the carrier, I realized…it won’t work on her.  It’s supposed to make them irresistible to each other, but she will still have full cognition…full realization that this is happening and that she…isn’t a willing participant.”

                Bright Eyes was silent for a moment and sighed before speaking.  “Yellow Diamond specifically asked for this pairing…she is rational and logical and must’ve known…”

                “I don’t think I can put her through this.” 

                “You have to!  If we pull the plug now...Yellow Diamond could have us shattered…” Her voice was tinged with fear.  “She could have us harvested…force us to fuse…make us part of a monster.  Is that what you want?” 

                “I want to know why she’s so insistent.  Why is she breeding only the military gems?  We’re not at war.  Why wouldn’t we just grow them in Kindergartens?  I want to trust My Diamond, I do, but…something isn’t right.” 

                Bright Eyes stood and turned in Spark’s direction.  “That’s a very dangerous attitude to have.  You would be wise to stop – now – if you don’t want her whipping you, cutting out your tongue…or worse.” 

                “You know, maybe if every pearl and peridot and ruby and every other gem they think is so beneath them rose up together, we could take them on and show them…”

                Peridot’s friend slapped Spark.  “Get in there and do your job!  I don’t want to see anyone else here get…hurt.” 

                Spark’s expression turned to one of sympathy.  “I know 5XG was our friend…and you miss her, but that was a long time ago…” 

                “Yellow Diamond ruthlessly shattered her – blew her to a million pieces by detonating a communicator!  And for what?  For calling her a clod, which is much less severe than suggesting an uprising, so unless you want to be destroyed, I suggest – highly suggest – that you get in there, carry out this experiment and get the desired results Our Diamond wants!”

                Spark glumly nodded and walked out while Bright Eyes flopped back down in her chair and hung her head.  Her breathing became heavy until finally her shoulders shook and she let out a couple of sobs.

                Peridot sat back against the wall of the vent and sighed.  Well, no wonder Yellow Diamond hadn’t tried to find her and punish her.  They thought she was gone for good.  This could be to her advantage.  Yellow Diamond hardly knew the peridots working under her; in fact, she’d had to ask clarification before realizing which peridot had used the communicator to contact her and where she was calling from.  Part of her wanted to go down there and comfort her friend, but Bright Eyes thought she was shattered so it would probably just freak her out.  Instead, she continued on her way to the tech lab and when she arrived, seeing it was deserted, she popped the vent and went in.  She immediately tapped into the computer, setting the program needed for limb enhancers.  Realizing she could set the size, she chose to make her leg extensions four inches taller than normal.  She lay on the table and let the automatic machines do their job, fitting her with the metal attachments.  They’d been upgraded since she was last on Homeworld and though she didn’t have time to discover all the differences, she noticed they did have cool yellow stripes on them now. 

                Now was the time to get to work.  She made her way to the nursery and peeked inside.  There had to be twenty to thirty gemlings in there – multiple amethysts and jaspers, three topazes and an agate.  No rubies, but then, rubies were pretty common.

                “Can I please have my finger back?” One of the peridot nannies asked of an amethyst gemling who was holding one of the fingers from her arm attachment. 

                Another peridot was having trouble separating two little jaspers who thought fighting was a good idea.  She shouldn’t interfere even though she knew exactly what to do and she was pretty sure she had never actually met these peridots.

                “No, don’t put that in your mouth!”

                She had to do something now as the small amethyst was trying to eat the finger.  Peridot marched over and smoothed out the mane of light purple hair.  “Hey there, are you hungry?” She received a nod in response.  “Okay, if you give this nice friend her finger back, we’ll get you something yummy.” 

                The gemling thought for a moment before spitting out the finger letting it roll on the floor.  Peridot picked her up and set her on her hip then made her way over to the nanny trying to get the jaspers under control.  “They need to exercise; that’s why they’re like this.  You should have an area where they can run.” 

                “We’re not equipped to handle this!  We weren’t made for this!” 

                “I know.”  She used her fingers to give the fighting gemlings sharp pinches on their necks just as their parents might do if they were here…if their parents even knew these were theirs.  They seemed shocked at first but straightened out when Peridot raised her voice.  “Hey!  Knock it off!”  She turned to the nanny.  “They’re soldier gems; you need to be less like their friend and more like their drill sergeant.  They respond to that.” 

                Peridot walked over to a nearby shelf, plucked a piece of pumice from it and gave it to the amethyst gemling.  The little one’s eyes lit up and she cooed gratefully as she happily munched on the stone.  Peridot handed her back to her nanny.  “Amethysts love their snacks.”

                “Thank you.  How do you know so much?”

                “Research.  I actually talked to quartzes about what works and what doesn’t.  When do their parents come pick them up?”

                “Their parents?  Their parents are off being warriors; they don’t have time for babies.”

                “But quartzes are so much better at parenting; I mean…” she almost wanted to say that rose quartz gems were mother gems, but decided against it.  Technically, rose quartzes no longer existed.  “Maybe try asking some of them.  They may have some innate knowledge about how to care for young ones.”

                The other peridot thanked her again and then she was on her way.  Why were they only breeding warrior gems when they weren’t actively at war?  And why breeding?  Well, that was obvious – even though the gemlings had to grow up, it was a lot quicker than growing gems in the ground.  Then she remembered what Spark had said about an uprising.  Of course…they were called common gems because they were just that – common – there were LOTS of them.  Tens of thousands of pearls, thousands of peridots and rubies…and not nearly as many amethysts, jaspers or topazes…only a handful of agates.  There had been tension between the working class and elite gems for centuries on Homeworld and from what she’d heard between Spark and Bright Eyes, it was ready to explode.  If, in fact, there was an uprising, it was entirely plausible with the rubies fusing and the peridots having defensive weapons in their limb enhancers that they _could_ overthrow the Diamond Authority.  And this is what Yellow Diamond feared.

                They were breeding gems in case of an uprising…a rebellion.  Is that why she was keeping a rose quartz in her domain…and so many in the zoo?  Actually, Steven had seemed to think it was Blue Diamond who was unable to get rid of the bubbled gems, but were they really just around because Blue missed Pink Diamond so much…or was there more to it? 

                Peridot looked around quickly before ducking into a nearby computer room.  She used her new floating fingers to pull up the screen and look through files.  This came so naturally back to her and she loved having the technology, though now she knew it was not her tech that defined her.  With or without the limb enhancers, she was still Peridot. 

                Here it was – rose quartz properties…they were big, of course, great warriors, generally obedient, caring…and then she remembered what she’d said in the nursery.  She remembered that Steven’s mother had given her life so he could exist.  They were the mother gems; they were the ones who would be ideal for raising these gemlings if their parents couldn’t.  But why then keep them bubbled?  Just because one had supposedly shattered a diamond?  Her eyes fell on the last quality…healing.  She gasped. 

_I know you fixed Lazuli’s gem!_

                They were healers!  And the Diamonds probably each had one to heal themselves and even their high ranking warriors with their tears.  That’s why they still held onto them, but wouldn’t dare unbubble them for help raising the gemlings…or share their healing powers with gems they deemed undeserving.  If she could somehow get to Yellow Diamond’s domain, release the rose quartz gems trapped there, then maybe…

                The door opened and Peridot turned to see a topaz standing there…she was large and intimidating.  And she had two gems on either side of her head…she was a fusion.  Peridot swallowed hard realizing she’d been caught and she was probably going to be carried off to face Yellow Diamond and be shattered for real.  Before she knew it, a large hand was pinning her to the wall by her neck. 

                “You think you can play with others like toys?  Use your science to make us do what you want?  What the Diamonds want?” 

                What in the stars was she talking about?  Peridot tried in vain to pull the hand from her neck.  “I-I don’t know…”

                “Well, now I’m going to do what I want!  Now you’re going to feel what it’s like to have no control!” 

                She crashed to the floor and felt her back hit the wall as she was kicked.  What on Homeworld was this gem so angry about?  What had she done?  “Please, I’m not…”

                “Shut up!  Disarm your defenses now!”

                Okay…okay…the best thing to do was to follow her instructions and try to reason with her.  Surely there was a way out of this.  After all, Topazes weren’t the smartest of gems.  “L-listen, we can talk about this…we can be logical about th-this.”  She realized they were strong, however, as she was slammed back up against the wall, a forceful hand on her chest.

                “Is it logical to breed two gems against their will?”

                Peridot’s eyes flickered up to the gem’s short yellow hair…the same hair she’d seen in Spark’s hand.  She’d been wronged by what Yellow Diamond was trying to do.  “I’m not part of the breeding program.  I’m a kindergartener.” 

                “You are just like them.” 

                “I am not!”  Warrior gems needed to be spoken to forcefully.  “Now put me down you thick-headed clod!” 

                The warrior’s hand was near-crushing her chest at this point.  “You do exactly as I say, or I’ll shatter you.”  Her free hand groped the sexless area between Peridot’s legs.  “You can’t shape shift, can you?”

                “Of course not.  What kind of moronic question is that?”  This earned her a hard blow to the face.

“You have quite a mouth on you, don’t you?”  A large thumb grazed her lips.  “You have a mouth.”

                Oh stars…what was the topaz going to do to her?  She was forced to a kneeling position and looked on in horror as the other gem undid her pants and a large…part…fell out.  So…she’d been a sire…and didn’t seem too happy about it.  Peridot’s eyes darted away, looking toward the door but realizing she’d never make it.  Her hair was grabbed and before she knew it her mouth was full with…well, she didn’t want to think about it.

“You bite me and you’re shattered, got it?”  

Peridot gave a slight nod and tried to think of why this was happening.  Why in the world would the topaz be doing this?  This wouldn’t result in gemlings…didn’t she know that?  Era Two gems couldn’t have gemlings.  Diamonds…she felt like she could choke between her throat being pounded and the smell.  Finally, something flooded her mouth and she was pushed away like she was nothing.  Peridot gagged; she spit on the floor.  It tasted awful and the back of her throat felt bruised. 

“How does it feel?”

                Like she did something very wrong; like this had been unnatural and unnecessarily cruel.  Deep down, she knew she hadn’t done anything to anyone…but in following Yellow Diamond’s orders, this gem had been mistreated by the gems in her caste.  Oh stars, she’d better answer or else she’d be hit again…or worse.

                But before she could, there was a loud banging on the door, and another that broke the door from its place and caused it to crash to the floor.  There was a momentary pause, then, a husky, familiar voice spoke.  “What?  I wasn’t enough?”

                Peridot wiped her mouth with the back of her limb enhancer and looked over to see Jasper standing in the doorway.  She had her helmet on and her eyes burned with anger.  She was ready to fight.  A large orange hand tugged on Peridot’s arm sending her sliding across the floor and out of the room where she bumped up against the wall. 

                “Run!”  Jasper commanded.

                Peridot didn’t need to be told twice.  She scrambled to her feet and took off down the hall.

 


	5. Jasper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more non-con in this one and then we should be pretty much done with that though mentions of it will be brought up later.

** Jasper **

_You, don’t fight – it will only hurt worse._

                It would hurt worse?  That’s what Garnet had said, but nothing could hurt worse than the pain caused to her.  Well…yes…there had been some things in her past, but she tried not to think of them. 

                Why had she even agreed to help them?  Right, she owed one to Steven for healing her corrupted mind and body and bringing her back from the insanity she’d suffered.  She’d called a sort of truce with them over the past few months, but was hardly one of them.  She tolerated them and kept mostly to herself.  Getting close to others always meant the possibility of losing them.  She knew this too well. 

                Then, Steven had cashed in on his favor.  Lapis had refused to return to Homeworld and they needed someone powerful.  Jasper had been trying to get to Homeworld since she’d been stranded long ago on Earth.  If nothing else, she could stay there after Steven had completed his mission.  If anything, it was a ride home.  She could do it…she could quietly help Steven find his friends, then return to Yellow Diamond’s army.  She made no promises about what would happen should they meet again in battle.

                It hadn’t worked out that way.  She was pretty sure the techs in charge of security must’ve detected such an old ship approaching Homeworld and probably even had ways of telling what kind of gems were on said ship.  Garnet being…herself…had given them all vague instructions.  How dare she tell Jasper not to fight.  That went against her very nature.  She was made for battle.  As it turned out, because Homeworld was prepared, she never got the chance.  As soon as she and Garnet even tried, she felt a poke on the back of her neck and almost immediately crumpled to the ground unable to move.  Everyone seemed to have followed Garnet’s advice even though Garnet was no longer there.  Instead, two rubies were dragging Sapphire away.  An amethyst was putting cuffs on Pearl.

                As for her, it took another jasper to carry her limp body off…somewhere…her eyes had closed and she could not open them, though she could still hear and feel.  She was still conscious.  “Orders from Yellow Diamond,” the other one said.  “Sorry about this.”

                That answered none of the questions running wild through her mind and she couldn’t move her mouth to ask.  She was placed on something cold…metal…a table…

                “How do you want her?” the other jasper asked someone.

                It took a moment before a thin, clear voice spoke.  “Hands to the side…legs also on the sides…in the holders there.”

                Jasper felt her limbs bound to the table, her knees bent, legs apart.   The first voice spoke.  “You know…I feel conflicted about this.”

                The other voice sounded nervous.  “It is on Yellow Diamond’s orders.  What we feel does not matter.” 

                “What matters is that we obey,” her fellow warrior said. 

                Jasper heard the other soldier walking away and the door closing.  When would she be able to move again?  When could she ask questions?  She felt cold and realized her uniform had somehow been phased away.  Soft fabric covered her – a sheet, she knew.  Her eye was pried open and a light shone in it.  “You’re in there, aren’t you?  I’m really sorry about all this.” 

                The other gem in the room was a peridot with short spiky yellow hair.  Jasper’s gaze otherwise was fixed on the ceiling, but she must be in the medical center.  Her eye was closed and she heard metal footsteps around the table.  Something sharp was stuck into her neck again. 

                “This will make the paralytic wear off in a few minutes.”  There was a second injection in her arm.  “And this will deactivate your shape shifting abilities for a few hours.  Yellow Diamond had you selected for the breeding program.” 

                What?  That thing she was told she probably would never have to worry about?  She had initially refused when it was brought up to the soldiers.  Those who refused were eventually talked into it, until she was the last holdout.  And when it reached Yellow Diamond that her precious ‘ultimate quartz’ would not sign up, she had called her in for a private audience.  It was impossible to say no to her Diamond.  Thankfully, before she could be called upon to participate, she had been sent to Earth.  

                Now they weren’t giving her a choice.  And from her position on the table, she had been selected to be the carrier. 

                Last time, she’d been the sire. 

                Last time, it had been her choice. 

                Of course last time was over five thousand years ago…and she’d been in love.

                Metal fingers pressed on her lower abdomen and she felt the sharp poke of a needle going in deep.  She couldn’t make a sound, but the corner of her mouth twitched.  It was finally wearing off.  Maybe she’d be able to break free of the restraints, run, escape from this torture she had not signed up for…not willingly anyway.  Was she being punished for something?  Was it a preemptive measure to make sure her time on Earth hadn’t made her turn against the Diamond Authority?  

                “I’m injecting a serum to make your eggs ready in a matter of a couple of hours and hormones to start a heat cycle.” 

                Jasper could finally move her eyelids and opened them, eyes darting around the white, sterile room.  They were really going to make her do this…

                She jolted as she felt those metal fingers now in a very private area.  Something cold was pushed inside her and cranked open causing her to cry out with the unexpected pain and violation.  She was still weak, but tried pulling against the restraints. 

                “I don’t like this any more than you do,” the technician said, her voice trying to be authoritative, but tinged with that nervous quality it’d had since the beginning.  “This will hurt a bit.  I’d suggest not struggling.  The restraints are unbreakable and it will only be worse if you do.”

_Don’t fight…_

                Jasper felt something pressing deep into her and clenched her teeth together trying to ignore the pain.  The technician didn’t explain exactly what she was doing, but likely something to make her womb produce a lining for the eggs.  Their bodies had long ago ceased to do these things on their own.  Five thousand years ago it was a miracle for them to have even one offspring this way when Kindergartens had become the standard for growing gems. 

                She and Snow were from the Beta Kindergarten. 

                Rayne was from them.

                She shut her eyes.  No…those memories were too painful.  She’d rather feel the physical pain but even that was over and she heard the door close again.  Jasper was left alone for what seemed like a long time before the tech returned. 

                “How are you feeling?” the peridot asked. 

                Humiliated.  Violated.  Hurt.  Pissed off.  Afraid.  However, Jasper refused to answer, instead turning her head away.  The floating fingers were touching her hair now and before she could wonder why she heard the clipping of scissors. 

                As the technician left, she remembered something about this from the spiel they’d been given upon being asked to ‘volunteer’ to be breeders.  It was said the scent of their partner would make them so excited they wouldn’t mind who they were paired up with.  However, even the ‘ultimate quartz’ had her flaws…well, one anyway.  Jasper looked to her side after hearing the door slide open again and the peridot was by her side again. 

                “Here, this will help.”

                Jasper felt something tickling her upper lip and the lower part of her gem.  It was hair…the hair she couldn’t smell because lacking a proper nose also meant lacking that sense.  This was not the only reason she’d initially refused, but it had been part of her decision not to participate.  No sense of smell meant she wouldn’t be turned on; everything else should work according to plan, but she wouldn’t want it – and she didn’t.  She heard the peridot give a choked gasp and a soft: “Oh no.”

                “You finally figured it out.  And I thought you peridots were supposed to be smart.”

                “I-I…l-let me see wh-what I can do!”  And she rushed out. 

                Peridots sure were nervous gems.  Not surprising considering how they were treated.  Well, at least this one was willing to try and get her out of this.  She couldn’t believe her Diamond had this done to her. 

                No…Yellow was NOT her Diamond.  Pink Diamond would have never treated her – or any of her gems – like this.  Pink had treated her subjects like friends.  When any other Diamond would have been appalled to learn two of her gems had fallen in love and had a little one, Pink had knelt down, stroked Rayne’s hair with her finger and told her how pretty she was.  Their gemling had given Pink Diamond hope for this colony they all called their home and birthplace.  They couldn’t be sure, but it was very likely Rayne was the last gem ever conceived this way. 

                Until recently…until Yellow Diamond had taken matters into her own hands and was attempting to breed super soldiers for some yet unknown purpose. She wasn’t an idiot – the piece of hair in the peridot’s fingers was not from a quartz.  They were now using breeding to attempt to make fusions.

_Now you’re MY prisoner!_

                Her past with fusions was not a good one…at all.  She struggled against the restraints again as memories of being confined under the ocean flooded back to her.  She had felt power for only a short while before being reduced to being held captive.  Just like now…just like this…no, this was worse.  Lapis hadn’t been kind by any means…abusive even…but there was one level she’d never taken it to.  Her leg started to cramp painfully and she lay still wishing it to go away.

                This had never been done to Jasper before.  No one would dare _try_ unless they wanted their ass handed to them.  Nevertheless, here she was, unable to escape, unable to stop this.

                One look at the technician’s face when she returned told her this.  “I really did try…but…our orders stand as they are.  It’ll happen soon.  I can use something to make it…less painful.” 

                Jasper gave a short laugh that threatened to turn into a sob.  “Less painful?  How are you going to make it less painful?  Let me tell you something, the physical pain will be nothing.  I can deal with that.”  She released a heavy sigh.  “So…let’s just get it over with.”

                Despite what she said, the technician slid something else into her and whatever came out of it was cool and slick.  Then, the peridot turned and walked out of the room. 

                Jasper knew…the next time the door opened that would be it…this would really happen.  Her mind took her back to those romantic nights with Snow.  Fusion was beneath them, but making love, not so much.  They didn’t even fight to determine who would be the dominant and who would be the passive with the understanding that Snow preferred the more submissive role.  It was graceful and tender when they’d physically express their love for each other.  She missed that.  She missed Snow.  Time made it easier, but she’d always miss her.

                The door slid open again and Jasper refused to look at the gem entering with thunderous footsteps.  She felt the sheet slide away from her body revealing her naked form.  The other gem was on top of her now.  A large hand ran through her hair and a voice that didn’t seem to match a gem of such stature spoke: “Forgive me.  I’m only following orders.” 

                Jasper closed her eyes for a moment feeling a tear escape from one of them.  _No…no…no…_ she kept repeating in her mind.  Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with her partner…a topaz.  Yes, they would make amazing gemlings who would grow up to be powerful warriors…except, this was all wrong…this wasn’t how it should happen.

_No…no…no…_

                It happened anyway…and she screamed.

*

                _It had been five or six thousand years ago…somewhere in that time frame that both of them broke free of the rock they’d been created from.  Jasper was first, emerging during a summer storm and in the heat of battle…already knowing what to do, she joined in and earned the admiration of other gems from the beginning._

_Snow had emerged during a brief time of peace, during the winter, hence her name.  Names weren’t frowned upon back then…at least, not in Pink Diamond’s domain.  And when Jasper had locked eyes with this lovely new warrior, there was no denying it: she was under Snow’s spell.  Her lover had been beautiful – very light orange skin with darker stripes, scarlet eyes, straight, white hair and the sweetest voice Jasper had ever heard.  Snow had been just as tall, muscular and toned – not quite so bulky as Jasper, but every bit as strong._

_There wasn’t much time for courting what with a war going on, but they found ways to see each other.  When not actively fighting, they stayed in the Beta Kindergarten, in their own little cave Jasper had punched out of the rock.  It was comfortable being in the place where they’d been created; it was home._

*

                Was it still going on?  Yes…and it hurt.  It was a deep, bruising pain and Jasper willed herself not to scream anymore.  This wasn’t going to stop…the topaz was not going to stop, not until whatever they’d given her started wearing off.  Jasper shut her eyes again and let her mind transport her back to a time when she was happy. 

*

_Snow hadn’t a clue why her body was changing or why she felt the need to stay out of danger.  Neither did Jasper actually, but when she had the chance, she went to Pink Diamond’s base and asked one of the peridot techs why this might be happening._

_The Era One peridot, often referred to by everyone as Grace, looked it up on her screen, entering Snow’s symptoms like why her belly was softer to the touch and slightly rounded.  “By the stars…it can’t be.”_

_“What?”_

_“I think…I think she’s got an egg developing inside her.”_

_That was the strangest thought in the world and Jasper listened while Grace explained exactly what was going on and how it had happened.  When she was finished, she ran her fingers through her long, golden hair.  “But…there hasn’t been a gemling hatched in…a very long time.  I sort of remember it.  Listen to me: this is banned on Homeworld.  Now, Pink Diamond is merciful and loving, but she is a Diamond and may be expected by the others to uphold Homeworld’s laws.  Raise her as secretly as you can.  When she’s grown, bring her to me and I will assign her a serial number and put her in the system as if she’d emerged from the Beta Kindergarten same as you.”_

_It was both a dangerous and exciting time.  After Snow had laid the egg, they had to keep it hidden for months as it became a geode and they wondered what their daughter would look like._

*

                It had stopped for now.  The topaz was breathing heavily and Jasper was trying to ignore the agony that felt like she’d been ripped in half.  Large hands pressed against her body…her legs, her stomach, her breasts…as if the topaz thought she owned her.  She could tell, however, from the heat radiating off the sire’s body that this was not over.  She wanted it to be…she wanted the pain to stop…her mind was her only safe retreat. 

*

_Snow had been beautiful, but when Rayne finally burst from her geode during an unusual spring downpour, both parents agreed she was the loveliest jasper they’d ever seen.  She was a perfect mix of the both of them – Snow’s pale skin with Jasper’s red markings.  She had Jasper’s wild hair that was perfectly white and the shape of her eyes.  The color of her eyes was the same as Snow’s as was the shape of her mouth; they would find out later when her teeth came in that she’d inherited Jasper’s smile…and her gem._

_“I wish her gem was where mine is,” Snow had said, referring to the gem on her back.  “I worry because this world is dangerous and she’s so little…and it’s right there on her face.”_

_“She’ll be okay.  She’s our tough little warrior.”_

_She wouldn’t stay little forever though and as Rayne grew it was apparent her figure would be more like Snow’s – tall, toned, but more feminine than Jasper’s.  Her parents taught her well…to fight, to summon her weapons (yes, she had two – a helmet and a sword), to run fast…to spin dash.  When Pink Diamond finally found out and absolutely loved the new addition to her army, they no longer had to keep Rayne a secret and she could train with the others.  She was good…no, she was perfect…more perfect than any other quartz from the Beta Kindergarten anyway…no, even better than those from the Prime Kindergarten.  Rayne, not Jasper, was the ultimate quartz._

*

                It was happening again…that pain, that suffering, the topaz claiming her as her own again.  Jasper pulled against the restraints; she tried sliding away and a powerful hand grabbed her thigh entirely too hard.  The topaz shifted position laying her weight on top of Jasper so she couldn’t move.  It was crushing…it was not the most crushing thing she’d ever felt, however.

*

_The worst day of her life was the day two gems she’d loved were taken from her.  It was during the heat of battle, she’d heard Snow cry out and when Jasper looked back, she saw her lover had been impaled by a spear, the tip of which was now decorated with a small piece of her now shattered gem.  In an instant, Snow’s body was gone and only shards remained, glistening in the sunlight on the ground.  Jasper’s disbelief quickly turned to anger and she took out the gem who had killed Snow._

_The battle ended with them retreating to fight another day.  Homeworld was losing the fight; Pink Diamond was going to have to go back and take her gems with her at this rate.  Jasper had never known anything but the Earth; neither had Rayne.  Oh Diamonds…she was going to have to tell Rayne her mother was gone.  Her daughter had gone on a mission to seek help from some of Pink Diamond’s higher ranking officials._

_Jasper took a moment on her way to Pink Diamond’s domain to sit down with her back against a wall of the Kindergarten and allowed herself to cry for Snow.  She couldn’t ever remember crying; she’d usually say such a thing was beneath a gem as strong as she was, but half of her heart had been ripped out in front of her.  Finally, she stood up, wiped away her tears and started walking._

_She didn’t have to go far before she saw Rayne running full force back to the Kindergarten.  She was still wearing her helmet and armor.  She was yelling something.  “Pink….Quartz…can’t...”_

_Jasper caught her daughter up in a hug and placed her hands on her shoulders. Rayne was grown; they were the same height now.  “Slow down. What happened?”_

_“I was there…and so was Rose Quartz.  I didn’t see it but…Mom…she shattered her.”_

_“Our Diamond shattered Rose Quartz?”_

_“No, Rose Quartz shattered Pink Diamond.”_

_It was the most impossible thought in the world…Rose had always been such a loyal soldier and a follower of Pink Diamond.  How could she have done such a thing?  Why would she have done it?  What was going to happen now?_

*

                The forced kiss was almost the worst part of it all.  Jasper was trembling, almost emotionally numb at the thought of such an intimate act being done to her without her permission.          

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” the topaz whispered. 

                That’s when she realized it was really over.  This made it no better.  Now she had to deal with incubating eggs and having gemlings she didn’t want.  Not that it mattered – they’d be hatched in a nursery and she probably wouldn’t have anything to do with them.

                So, the Diamond Authority was going to take her offspring…again.

*

_Homeworld lost the war and all of Pink Diamond’s court and her warriors and common gems headed to a planet they’d call home from now on even though they’d never seen it.  Jasper had sensed Rayne’s nervousness and squeezed her hand as they lined up with other gems sporting pink diamonds on their uniforms to be assigned their new destinations._

_Blue…Blue…White…Yellow…Yellow…Yellow…Blue…White…Pink…_

_Pink?  This included any rose quartzes and a few gems that looked as though they might be defective in one way or another.  At one point, a lapis lazuli approached the agate in charge of overseeing all this.  The agate made her way over to the ‘pink’ gems.  “Those of you who are not rose quartz gems, please proceed to the blue section.  Our merciful, gracious Diamond has promised to keep you in service.”_

_Were they going to shatter these gems?  That was an option?_

_“6XJ…Yellow…”_

_Jasper looked over; Grace was going to serve Yellow Diamond.  When it was her own turn, she gave the technician her serial number: 8XA.  The peridot consulted her screen.  “Most of the Betas have ended up in the Blue Court.”_

_Serving Blue Diamond?  She’d never see battle again.  She looked over at the pile of rejects –amethysts with flaws, a short carnelian and a too-skinny jasper – no, that would not be acceptable._

_“But…you’re an exception.  Yellow.”  The peridot pointed over toward where Grace was getting to know her counterparts.  “Next.”  Rayne.  “Serial number?”_

_“Um…I don’t remember.”_

_“How can you not remember?”  The technician gave an annoyed sigh and scanned her gem.  She checked her screen then scanned her again.  “You’re a nine – 9XC.”_

_“Is that bad?”_

_“You’re possibly the most perfect jasper ever made.  We didn’t know a nine was possible.”  She pushed a few buttons on her screen._

_Good…Yellow Diamond only wanted the best, so certainly Rayne would be assigned to…_

_“White.”_

_It couldn’t be…the war had taken the love of Jasper’s life…her Diamond…her home…and now Homeworld was taking her child._

_“There must be some mistake,” Rayne said.  “I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be Yellow.”_

_“White,” the peridot said in a no-nonsense tone and pointed to the crowd where only the best of the best had been sent._

_Jasper locked eyes with her daughter several times as they waited for the rest of the gems to be categorized and separated.  She looked at Grace and whispered.  “You put her in as a nine?”_

_“She is and believe me, from the Beta Kindergarten, eights are rare, but a nine…of course White Diamond wants her.”_

_“What can we do?”_

_“Nothing.  If we even try we risk…imprisonment, torture…who knows.”_

_The last Jasper saw of Rayne, she was being led away with the others chosen for White Diamond’s court.  Rayne turned her head and gave her mother a longing look.  Jasper closed her eyes and fought off the threatening tears._

_That was over four thousand years ago.  She hadn’t seen Rayne since._

*

                Now they would take her other children too, she realized as the technician cleaned her up and released her leg restraints at last.  She was given a final injection, which she was told would allow her to shapeshift again.  The peridot waved a kind of wand over her making her uniform appear on her body before undoing the wrist cuffs.  It briefly entered Jasper’s mind to punch her, but it wasn’t her fault.  She was just as afraid of Yellow Diamond as everyone else and disgust about the whole incident was written on her face.  “Um…the eggs take a month to incubate, then after you’ve delivered them, we’ll keep them in our hatchery.  There will probably be between two and eight of them – that’s pretty standard.  Your work is done at that point.  For the next twenty-four hours, don’t fuse with anyone.  We’re not sure why but fusion changes the DNA of the seed and may result in different gems than expected.”

                Jasper sat on the edge of the table.  She still hurt; she rubbed her sore wrists. “What about past fusions?”  The last thing Yellow Diamond needed was eight Malachite warriors at her disposal…or worse, corruptions.

                “If you haven’t been poofed since then, the DNA of the other gem could still be present.” 

                She had been and had re-formed.  No, all the gemlings would be tiger’s eye.  Well, they could have them; she wanted no part in raising them after how they’d been conceived.  Jasper felt she could break down and sob, but she redirected that feeling into anger…anger at Yellow Diamond.  Something had to be done.  She looked at the technician as she tidied up the tray.  “What is your name?”

                “I’m 5XF.”

                “No, your name.  I know some of you still use them.”

                “I had a friend who sometimes called me Spark.”

                Jasper stood, made sure her uniform looked perfect, ran her fingers through her hair and started toward the door.  “You know, a fire starts with a spark and once it begins it can become hard to contain…think on that.”

                She left the room and leaned against the wall for a moment deciding what exactly she wanted to do.  Ultimately, she concluded that she would confront Yellow Diamond.  If her leader thought she was just going to be unquestioningly obedient, she had another thing coming.  She summoned her helmet and strode down the hall with a purpose.  From inside a room she heard a thud and a newly familiar voice asking: “How does it feel?”

                Jasper slowly tilted her head to the side cracking her neck.  She might as well direct some of her anger onto the topaz.  She broke down the door with two kicks and saw a shocked topaz and a peridot on her hands and knees wiping her mouth. A small puddle of something white was on the floor.  Not only that…it wasn’t any peridot, it was the one from the Crystal Gems…the one out of all of them that hadn’t had anything to do with this mess.  Jasper growled deep in her throat.  “What?  I wasn’t enough?” 

                She quickly grabbed Peridot and slid her to safety.  “Run!”  Once she heard the sound of metal running away, she faced Topaz.  “What the fuck?!”

                “It’s their fault!  They made us do this!”

                “There is no ‘us’ – it was YOU!”

                “I never wanted to hurt you.”

                “Well, you did!  Now I get to hurt you!”  She lunged at Topaz who dodged.  Jasper managed to punch her, sending her outside into the hall.  She charged and kicked her in the chest as she tried to get up causing her to unfuse.  Jasper grinned – she had them now.  She threw a punch at the one in front of her. 

                “Watch out!”  Someone yelled as they ran toward them. 

                She heard the familiar sound of a poof behind her and the clink of a gem falling to the floor.  Jasper glanced over, still holding the remaining topaz against the wall.  There, picking up a sai off the floor was a thin jasper in a blue two piece uniform.

                “Topaz!”  Topaz exclaimed. 

                “You love her?”  Jasper pressed her heel against the gem on the floor.  “Why don’t you find out what it feels like to have EVERYTHING taken from you?!”

                “I was just following Yellow Diamond’s orders…I never meant to…I pretend I’m okay with all this, but I’m not…”

                Wasn’t that what they all did?  Every last one of her lowly workers, her soldiers…they just obeyed no matter what the cost.  Damn it, she couldn’t do it.  No matter how mad she was, Topaz had a point – Yellow Diamond was the one to blame and she was the one who was going to pay.  Jasper sighed, picked up the gem from the floor and handed it to Topaz.  Then she turned to her blue counterpart.  “Where did you come from?”


	6. Amethyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short one, which will be followed by another short one, then we'll get into a few longer chapters.

** Amethyst **

_You, find your family_

                The Crystal Gems _were_ her family, but Amethyst knew what Garnet had meant.  They would need backup willing to help them.  Thinking quickly, she grabbed Ruby and ran off. 

                “Hey!  Let me go!  I have to help Sapphire!”  Ruby protested.

                “She’ll be fine – trust me on this.  I need your help to find a ship and get out of here.”

                “Me?  I haven’t flown a ship in thousands of years, but I know where they are.” 

“Good, we’re going to need one big enough for fifty large-ish gems.”

Ruby took the lead and together they ran to the ship port, climbing into one that looked like an older model.  “This is new to me, but it should be the right size.”  She sat at the controls and after a couple of tries, was able to get it work and take off.  She set the coordinates for the human zoo and all they had to do was wait until they arrived.  “I hope they’re not hurting Sapphire.”

Amethyst put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.  “I’m sure she’s fine.  Sapphire is smart and she’ll find a way to stay safe.”

It didn’t take long to get there and they were greeted by two amethyst guards.  Ruby took a fighting stance until they laughed and hugged Amethyst.  “How are you?” 

“Great, unless you count the fact that Homeworld has it out for me.  I need some help.”  Once they took her to the rest of her relatives – and after the subsequent hugging and greetings – Amethyst explained what had happened and that they needed backup.  “I know probably not all of you can go or Holly Blue will get suspicious, but we have a ship that will hold about fifty of you.” 

“Why not just use the warp pad?” 8XJ asked. 

Amethyst and Ruby looked at each other…that would have saved them a lot of travel time.  “This might be really dangerous,” Amethyst told them.  “Are you sure?”

Carnelian put a hand on Amethyst’s shoulder.  “Famethyst for life.  Of course we’ll help.”

“Might actually be fun to get out of here and do something for a change,” Skinny said.  “Who knows…maybe I’ll get to be in a proper fight, instead of pretend ones.”

Two of the amethysts agreed to go and keep Holly Blue occupied while the others made their way to the warp pads and used the zoo’s Homeworld Warp to return. 

8XL laughed.  “You know how long we’ve been stuck on that cruddy zoo?  So, how can we help?”

“First, we have to find out where they took Pearl and Sapphire and…” Amethyst heard Peridot’s voice from somewhere nearby. 

“This is how we strike back – this is how we get them…” 

Amethyst ran toward her friend’s voice and found her in an adjacent room talking to a group of her gem type.  “P-Dot!” 

“Amethyst.”  She shushed worried murmurs from the crowd.  “Don’t worry – she’s a friend.”

“Where are the others?”

“Sapphire is in Blue Diamond’s court.  Pearl is in the jail and last I saw Jasper she was only a little ways from here near the medical department.  Listen, Amethyst, this is about to get really real and really dangerous.  Take care of yourself and be prepared to fight.”  

“What’s going on?”

Peridot grinned along with the others behind her.  “Revolution.”


	7. Pearl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one, but revolution is coming...

** Pearl **

_You, it will all be okay._

                After trusting her for years, Pearl knew this to be true and she believed Garnet knew what was best.  She’d allowed herself to be imprisoned and waited for the opportunity to present itself to escape.  How that would happen, she wasn’t sure but she trusted it would.  Garnet’s future vision hadn’t let her down yet.

                Still, it was cold and lonely and she worried for everyone – Steven most of all.  Sure, he was getting very good at fighting and using his powers, but he was still so young.  He may have been Rose’s son, but she’d grown to love him like her own as well.  She wondered what they were going to do with everyone.  None of them were in prison with her, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were safe.  She could still hear Sapphire crying out for Ruby as she was dragged away.  Her mind still saw Jasper go down far too easily and picked up to be carried away. 

                “Pearl!” 

                It was Steven’s voice.  “Steven!  I’m over here!”  She smiled with relief as she saw him run around the corner.  “You’re okay!” 

                “Are you?”  When she nodded, he used his arm and body to make a hole in the force field for her to crawl through.  She noticed the pink human with him and remembered him explaining this back home.  “Hello Lars.”

                Lars smiled.  “Glad to see you’re safe.  What now?”

                “We need to find Peridot,” Steven told them decidedly.  “She’ll know where to go, what to do and the best way to accomplish it.”

                “Where are the other gems you mentioned?” Pearl asked as they made their way out and immediately saw Rhodonite and Rutile by the entrance holding the gems of the guards who had previously been there. 

                “Fluorite and Paddy stayed behind.”  Steven explained that Fluorite would be a prime target, as would Paddy and sadly the latter probably wouldn’t even realize she was in danger.  “But we’ll definitely get them before we go.”

                “If we’re going to find Peridot, then the technology hub is a good place to start,” Pearl explained.  “If I know her, she’ll be there – it’s where she’d feel most able to help.”

                They ran off and down hallways and corridors until they heard Jasper’s voice come from down one of them. 

                “Your weapon is destabilizing sai?”

                “Is that a bad thing?”  Another gem asked. 

                “It’s actually a huge advantage.  Stay with us.” 

                Pearl marched down the hall toward the voice and saw Jasper was joined by a topaz and the skinny jasper from the zoo.  Steven followed close behind while the others hung back a bit.  “Jasper, have you seen Peridot?”

                “Yes, I’ve seen her.”  Jasper shot a murderous look at the topaz.  “Didn’t see which way she ran, but if my hearing is good, that way.”  She jerked her head in the direction of another hallway.

                “It’s good to see you escaped,” Pearl said.  “We may need your help to get two others to safety.”

                “There’s something bigger than what we’re doing going on here,” Jasper told her.  “I think Peridot is investigating it.  All I know is it has something to do with…” she glared at the topaz again.  “…breeding gems.”

                “Breeding?”  Pearl asked.  “I didn’t even think that was possible.”

                “It wasn’t, but they made it possible,” Topaz said.  “And the way they’re doing it is…wrong.  Once it starts, you have no control over yourself.  You do things you regret.”

                “Regret does not erase it,” Jasper growled.  She turned her attention to Pearl.  “They’re using the peridots to carry it out and a lot of it seems to be experimental.  They’re attempting to breed fusions.” 

                Pearl tried to wrap her head around the concept.  “This hasn’t been done in thousands and thousands of years.  Why?”

                It was evident no one had that answer and before they could discuss it any further, the lights went out leaving them in complete darkness until Pearl lit up her gem to use as a spotlight.  “What in the world?”

                They heard the whirring of electricity shutting down and outside a nearby window, all visible buildings and structures went dark.  No one had seen a power outage on Homeworld in thousands of years…the technicians kept things running at all times.

                And then starting soft at first a sound filled the hallways, growing louder and one by one they realized it was voices…the voices of every peridot tired of being treated abusively and dismissingly…rising up in song.

_Do you hear the people sing, singing a song of angry gems…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do You Hear the People Sing" lyrics from Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg.  
> (With one small lyrical change lol)


	8. A Single Spark

** A Single Spark **

                Peridot wanted to run – and not just because Jasper had told her to – she needed to make sense of what had just happened to her in there.  Running with limb enhancers proved to be more difficult than she remembered.  Of course, she’d been without for a long time.  So, naturally, as she turned a corner, she took a misstep and fell flat on her face.   Figuring she was far enough away, she sat with her back against the wall.  She hadn’t even been back an entire day and already she’d been…what was a good word…mistreated – that worked.  She didn’t miss this – not at all.  Part of her wanted to tell someone as she didn’t quite understand exactly why this was done or what the topaz had hoped to accomplish by it.  A larger part of her didn’t really want anyone to know she’d had…that…in her mouth…ever.  She wasn’t even sure why she felt embarrassed or ashamed.  It wasn’t as if she’d done anything wrong.  Or had she? 

                A crash from the room across the hall caught her attention and she heard the sounds of someone yelling and peppering their fit with words that were not appropriate.  Peridot rose to her feet and peered in the room to see Spark throw a tray at the wall.

                “Her own damn general!  Who’s next?!  Blue Diamond?!”  Spark violently kicked over a small shelf of vials sending them crashing to the ground with a shattering crescendo.  “I don’t care what happens to me!  This experiment isn’t worth it!”  She picked up a tray of sharp instruments and hurled it at the door.

                Peridot instinctively put out her hand, using her metal powers to stop the objects before they hit her.  Spark, not hearing a clatter, looked up and her eyes widened in shock.  “5-X-G?”

                Using her abilities, Peridot placed the instruments back on the tray which she set on the counter before closing the door.  “Now, I know you’re shocked…”

                “That’s an understatement!  You’re supposed to be dead!”

                “I…was actually nowhere near the communicator when it exploded.  I’ve been living on Earth all this time.”

                “Did you get taller?”

                Peridot gave a sheepish grin.  “I may have finagled the limb enhancement program a bit…”

                Spark laughed.  “Sounds like you.”

                “So, this is the breeding program at work.  You don’t seem too thrilled about it.”

                Her friend gave a heavy sigh.  “I don’t think these gems really knew what they were getting themselves into when they signed up.  You know how many of them have come here asking to see their offspring?  And we can look it up, but…they don’t get to raise them – they don’t even to hold them or see them be born.  They’re not even themselves when they mate; it’s like the hormones we give them make them act on their basic instincts.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen these gems awkwardly look at each other afterwards because there’s no way they’d come together on their own.  But today…the carrier couldn’t smell to activate the heat cycle…so she wasn’t acting on basic instinct.  I don’t know if Yellow Diamond knew that would happen or…I don’t know why she had us restrain her, but I was outside the door and could hear her screaming.”  Spark shut her eyes.  “And all I could think was that I don’t know much about…intercourse…but it shouldn’t be like that.  No one should be forced into it.”

                Peridot had never heard of anyone being forced into that.  Intercourse on Homeworld was rare enough; they had no word for what had happened in here.  She had no word for what had been done to her.  “And…was she okay?”

                “Of course not!  I know she was pretending to be strong…well, I mean, she is strong, but she was clearly shaken.  To see a gem like that…bound and assaulted…and to know she’d been crying…that’s all the proof I need that this is wrong.”  Spark turned toward the computer.  “That’s why I’m tempted to scrub all their data…to shut this whole thing down.”

                “No, no, no…you’re thinking too small.  Listen, I was up in the vent system when I heard you talking to Bright Eyes earlier, you know, about if everyone decided to rise up against Yellow Diamond.  Besides, if you wipe the data and the program then those gems will never know which offspring are theirs.  But…if every peridot shut down all technology all over Homeworld, we’d get their attention.”

                “Yeah…and then they’d shatter us.”

                “That’s the point!  They can’t because who would restore everything?  The problem with only having one kind of gem do a single type of work is that only those gems know how.  So, if they want electricity and satellites and warp pads and breeding rooms for super soldiers, they’ll listen to us.  However, we have to unite the others, or it’ll just be us and…well…they definitely won’t think twice about shattering two of us.”

                “Three of us; I’m going to talk Bright Eyes into it.”

*

                It took more than a little convincing for Bright Eyes to agree to help.  She was clearly scared of the consequences.  “I lost my vision for less than this.  The last thing I remember seeing was an electric whip coming towards me.  Do you know how it sounds when your visor shatters…have you smelled flesh as it sizzles on your face?  I don’t want to lose anything else.”

                “But think of all we have to gain,” Spark said.  “Maybe they’ll finally stop treating us like something they scraped off the bottom of their gravity connectors.”

Peridot put a hand on her shoulder.  “We’re all scared.  Each and every one of us will be terrified going in, but if we don’t, nothing will change.  This isn’t just for us; it’s to avoid these things happening to all the peridots and those to come after us.”

                “We need to keep power in the hatchery and the nursery,” Bright Eyes insisted.  “As well as peridots there to watch over everything.  No reason to punish the gemlings.”

                “We’ll be able to communicate with each other via our limb enhancers,” Spark told them.  “They run on a different network only we can access so we won’t shut it down.  Bright Eyes, can you get a message out to everyone?”

                “Of course.  I’m a communication expert after all.”

                “We might want to keep Big Boss out of the list of recipients,” Peridot told them referring to their direct supervisor.

                Bright Eyes chuckled.  “I haven’t heard her called that in a while.”

                “I’ve heard her called a lot of other things,” Spark said causing the trio to burst into laughter.

                “Sent.  We do this quickly.”  Bright Eyes completely shut down her station, turning off everything and locking it with a passcode.  They moved to the medical area where other peridots were already shutting down machines and pulling plugs.  Spark got into the main computer, set a different code and it went silent.

                Within fifteen minutes, all technology ground to a halt and for the first time in millennia, Homeworld was plunged into darkness.  The peridots left their stations and blocked the entrances to the tech hub so no one could come in and try to turn things back on. 

                “We have to get the attention of the elites somehow,” Spark told them.  “Bright Eyes, you have a nice voice and they hate singing – or at least they hate us doing it.  Give us our lead and we’ll follow.” 

                Bright Eyes started humming a tune and broke into words, which the others followed, even Peridot, though she kept her less-than-perfect voice low.

_Do you hear the people sing?_

_Singing a song of angry gems?_

_It is the music of a people_

_Who will not be slaves again!_

_When the beating of your heart_

_Echoes the beating of the drums_

_There is a life about to start_

_When tomorrow comes!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've only got two more chapters written at this point - better get on to writing more... :)  
> I'm glad to see people are liking this.
> 
> "Do You Hear the People Sing" lyrics from Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg.  
> (With one small lyrical change lol)


	9. Let's Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready to see some gemling adorableness to break up some of the tension? Let's get to it then...

** Let’s Talk **

                Pearl’s gem gave them enough light to make it around the halls, but it was darker than any of them could remember.  Finally, they saw a light on in one of the rooms and Steven ran to the door.

                “Oh my gosh…” he breathed.

                “Steven what is it?”  Pearl asked in a concerned tone. 

                “They’re so…cuuuuuuute!”

                The others peered into the room and had differing expressions when they saw the nursery with the gemlings in various stages of growth – some sleeping, some playing, some fighting.  Skinny laughed when she saw three little amethysts curled up on a blanket snoozing away while a fourth one was munching away on a rock.  “Not that different from the zoo, honestly.” 

                “Is that all amethysts do all day?” Jasper asked.  “Eat and sleep?”

                Pearl rolled her eyes.  “In my experience…”

                The two peridots overseeing the nursery looked terrified beyond belief.  One of them nearly dropped the topaz gemling she held.  Finally one spoke.  “Please don’t shatter us.  We’re caring for these little ones.”

                And it became evident right away to Jasper that they were afraid of her.  She put on the serious demeanor expected of a general.  “I personally came down here to ensure the safety of our future soldiers.  No one is getting shattered…yet.”

                Skinny felt a tap on her leg and saw a small jasper standing in front of her.  The little one extended her arms.  “Up.”

                She picked up the gemling in her arms and smiled as tiny hands – one with a gem on the back of it – explored her face.  “Hi there.  Oh….now I want one.”

                “Put it back,” Jasper said simply.  She couldn’t look…the little ones only reminded her of how agonizing it had been to lose Rayne…of the gemlings now potentially forming within her that she did not want.  However, it was impossible not to notice them, as every jasper gemling who wasn’t sleeping was either toddling or crawling their way.  “What on Homeworld…”

                “They’ve…they’ve never seen an adult jasper,” one of the nannies said.

                “Never?”  Skinny asked and noticed another one wanted to be picked up.  “Do you ever hold them?”

                “Of course…I mean…we pick them up to move them.”

                “They need more than that.  They need to be held and cuddled,” Skinny explained as she set down the first gemling and picked up the other one.  “And not with cold, metal limb enhancers, but with warm, loving arms.”

                The peridots looked at each other before one spoke again.  “That wasn’t part of our training.”

                “So, the way I’m seeing it,” Jasper began, irritation rising in her.  “These gemlings are made, hatched and then inadequately tended to by gems who have no ties to them and no maternal instinct coupled with poor training.”  She looked down as she felt a kick to her leg and saw a small jasper standing there, her hair wild and her gem on her cheek.  She made a small noise and took a fighting stance.  Jasper raised an eyebrow.  “You’re challenging me?”

                “I fight!” the gemling said.

                How old was she?  She was about the same size as Rayne when she was approaching her second spring – hardly reaching the middle of Jasper’s shin.  Jasper knelt down.  “I could probably breathe on you and defeat you.  And you want to take me on?”  A quick, soft jab to her knee was the gemling’s answer.  “This is the decision you’re making?”  The little one growled and hit Jasper again.  “Okay.”  The large gem fought back a laugh as she gently poked the gemling in the chest causing her to fall down on her bottom with a joyful shout.  The gemling clapped her hands and squealed.  Then, she climbed up into Jasper’s lap. 

                Half of Jasper wanted to push her away, but the other half – the maternal half – won out and she wrapped her arms around the little one. 

                The gemling reached out and stroked her hair.  “Mama?”

                Her eyes widened.  “Nooooooo.”

                “But surely they get time with their parents,” Topaz said. 

                Jasper was getting annoyed just hearing her voice and growled.  “Don’t you get it?  No, they don’t belong to their parents.  They belong to Homeworld.  By the time you see your children again, they’ll be in training and they’ll have no clue they’re yours.”

                “We can’t let that happen to our gemlings.”

                “There is no ‘our’!”  Jasper snapped.  She placed the baby on the floor, stood and strode toward the door.  “Come on; we have to go.”

                The others followed her out of the nursery, Skinny having to return to place the baby jasper back on the floor.  She tried to ignore the tiny cries escaping from the little one.  “You know, I tried to volunteer for the breeding program,” she offered.  “They took one look and laughed.  Not nearly big enough to be a sire; hips too narrow to be a carrier…not to mention my offspring might be defective.” 

                “Trust me, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Jasper told her.

                “Now knowing I’d never see them…I guess it’s a good thing they didn’t accept me,” Skinny said.

                They saw another light coming from around the corner and held back until they saw it was Yellow Diamond’s pearl.  She passed right by them seemingly searching for something.  Pearl turned to the group.  “Steven, she can’t find you or any of the off-colors or you’re in huge trouble.  Go find Peridot or Amethyst and find out exactly what’s going on.” 

                “But what about you?”

                “I think I can handle another pearl if I need to.  You have a light?”

                Steven held up his cell phone.  “I have this.  It’s charged” 

                “Good thinking.”  Pearl hugged him.  “Be safe.”

                Steven took off with Lars and the two off-color gems and Pearl waited until he was out of range before she spoke again.  “I think I have an idea, but it’s going to be dangerous.  We have to figure out what exactly is happening and what Yellow Diamond plans to do about it.”

                “If I know her, and I do, she’ll realize she can’t shatter all of them,” Jasper said.  “That doesn’t mean they won’t be punished, but she’ll definitely try to shatter the ones who started this, so they need to be protected.  However, peridots are smart so I’m sure they know this already and are prepared to hide if necessary.” 

                A light shone down on them and the yellow pearl approached.  “General, Yellow Diamond sent me to find you.  She wishes to speak with you immediately.”  

                “Did she say what it was regarding?”

                “No.  Please come with me.”  She turned on her heel. 

                Pearl caught Jasper’s attention, pointed to her yellow counterpart, then to herself and made a gesture to suggest shapeshifting.  Jasper nodded in approval before Pearl summoned her spear and skewered the yellow pearl causing her to poof.  Acting quickly, the other pearl was bubbled and sent away with a tap.

                “Where did you send her?”  Skinny asked. 

                “Oh…uh…”  Pearl felt her cheeks glow blue.

                Jasper laughed.  “You sent her to the temple!  On Earth!”  She slapped Pearl on the back nearly toppling the smaller gem over.  “Come on, let’s see what Yellow Diamond has to say.”

                Even with Pearl’s gem lighting the way, it was difficult to navigate the hallways completely.  They finally saw a light up ahead and hurried to see what it was.  It came from a large room with multiple cubicles in it, each one holding eggs or geodes in various stages of development.  Jasper gave a low growl.  “The hatchery…”

                “There must be hundreds of eggs in there…” Topaz placed a hand on Jasper’s shoulder.  “How many gems have they…” 

                Jasper cut her sentence short by turning around swiftly and punching her so she hit the wall on the other side of the hallway.  “Don’t touch me!”

                It took Topaz a moment to regain her composure.  “Hey, we’re in this together, so instead of fighting each other, why don’t we just talk about this.”

                “Oh, you want to talk about it?  You want to talk about what happened earlier?” 

                “That wasn’t my fault…you have to believe me.  This is Yellow Diamond’s doing.  That wasn’t really me in there.” 

                “It wasn’t?”  Jasper’s eyes burned with rage as she grabbed the front of Topaz’s uniform and slammed her up against the wall.  “Yes it was!  It was YOU in the room with me!  It was YOU on top of me!  YOUR hands were touching me!  Whatever they gave you doesn’t take away from the fact it was YOU!  It doesn’t take away how YOU made me feel!  Like I was weak!  Like I was nothing!”  She felt her eyes burn with something else – something hot and fierce that escaped and rolled down her cheeks.  Diamonds damn it…she was actually…

                “Are you…crying?”  Topaz asked.  Her own eyes glistened over.  “I didn’t mean to make you cry…but you’re right.  It doesn’t matter what serums they used or who started this program – I’m the one who hurt you and I know an apology can in no way make up for that, but I am sorry.  I saw how terrified you were…I should have fought it; I should have run out of the room.  I should have been stronger.  They told me you’d…I mean…that you’d want it too.”

                Jasper furiously swiped at her eyes, but the tears wouldn’t stop.  She figured it probably had to do with the hormones they’d given her…either that or she was just really shaken up by the events between her and Topaz.  “That part didn’t work on me.  Even if I had wanted it in the moment, it would have been false afterwards.  I would still live with the knowledge that I never really wanted to do this…that I don’t want these gemlings…”

                Topaz reached out for her, but pulled back when Jasper gave her a dangerous look.  “Isn’t there even a little bit of maternal instinct in you at all?  Just an ounce?  A speck?”

                “If they had been conceived in love, then I would have all the maternal feelings in the world, but there was no love in this.  This was science and force and torture…I’d sooner kill these gemlings before they’re born than give them to Yellow Diamond…Homeworld isn’t getting any more of my children…”

                Skinny moved to Jasper’s side and placed a comforting hand on her arm.  “You…had children?”

                “A daughter…she belongs to White Diamond now.”  The tears had stopped and her feelings were rebuilding as anger once again.  “That’s why I didn’t want to help the Diamonds with this.  That’s why I want to stop this.  How many others will have to give up their offspring?  They started all this before I left and you should have seen the awkward glances between the soldiers selected.  This hadn’t been done in so long they had to have a training about how things would go…training grown warriors on how to have sex for Diamonds’ sake!”

                “I always assumed if I was chosen, I’d just be paired with…myself,” Topaz said, touching the gem on the side of her head.  The other half of her had quickly reformed earlier and they’d fused immediately after that.  “They said our gemlings would be tiger’s eye.”

                Jasper still detested Topaz saying ‘our’ but decided against saying anything.  There was something bigger going on – something more pressing they needed to deal with.  It was going to take a lot of time before Jasper could forgive Topaz…if she ever could…but, right now at least she’d said her piece and could leave it at that.  “Come on, let’s go.”

                Skinny walked alongside Jasper.  “So…your daughter…you had her with someone you loved.”

                “Yes.” 

                She was a bit disappointed by the simple answer, so she decided to offer up some of her own backstory.  “I was in love once.  She was a warrior for Yellow Diamond too…an amethyst.  I used to break the rules all the time – use the warp pads to come here and visit her.  We’d talk, dance…kiss…she was very special to me.  Then we got caught one day trying to sneak a prisoner onto a ship and to safety…Holly Blue Agate yelled at me for hours and forbade me to ever come here again.  They sent my love to war and she never came back.”

                Jasper, having regained her serious demeanor, nodded, though her thoughts were of Snow and it made her heart ache to know Skinny had also lost someone she’d loved.  “That happens.”

                “I still remember our song.”  Skinny hummed a few notes of an upbeat melody and then started singing.  “We're far apart in every way, but you're the best part of my day.  And sure as I breathe the air, I know we are the perfect pair.  On a prickly path that goes on for miles, but it's worth it just to see you smile.  And I cannot be pulled apart from the hold you have on my heart.  And even if the world tells us it's wrong, you're in my head like a catchy song.”  

                “Are you done prattling on?” 

                Skinny sighed.  “I guess…I just figured maybe you and your love had a song…”

                “Snow.”  Jasper offered.  “Her name was Snow and yes, our friend Grace taught us an ancient song we liked to sing.”  She glanced over as she noticed Skinny staring at her expectantly.  “No, I’m not singing.” 

                Skinny giggled.  “So, was Grace a sapphire?  They sing beautifully.”

                “She was a peridot actually.  They’re not allowed to sing now – not here – but under Pink Diamond, they could.  Grace even wrote her own music and when our child was born, her gift was a lullaby.”  Jasper remembered sitting with Snow and Grace on the floor of the cave while their peridot friend held Rayne and sang in a clear, pretty voice. 

_Wandering child of the earth_

_Do you know just how much you're worth?_

_You have walked this path since your birth_

_You were destined for more_

                “Was she sent to another Diamond?” 

                “No, she was assigned here, but…”  Jasper recalled the last time she’d seen her as she deactivated the force field on Grace’s prison cell.  Grace had turned toward her, tears shimmering in her eyes and Jasper had wanted to take pity on her, but she had a job to do.  As she was restrained with cuffs, she whispered simply: ‘Jasper…all I did was fall in love.’  Jasper did her duty in reminding Grace that in doing so, she’d broken the law.  Had she been a higher-ranking gem, the punishment may not have been quite so severe, but she was a peridot – an Era One peridot who should have known better – and she’d shown no remorse for her crime.  It didn’t matter that Jasper thought outlawing love was stupid and pointless; she was responsible for delivering Grace to her public execution.  “She was shattered…for loving another gem.”

                “Why don’t they allow us to fall in love?”  Topaz asked.  “What possible reason could there be for them to ban that?”

                None of them had the answer and even if they did, the time for talking was over as they approached Yellow Diamond’s control room.  Pearl took a deep breath and shape shifted into the likeness of the pearl she’d poofed earlier.  Jasper instructed Topaz and Skinny to make themselves scarce and walked up to the entrance with Pearl.  The agate guards stepped aside and allowed Pearl to open the door.  Pearl and Jasper locked eyes for a moment, then crossed the entry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Wanderer's Lullaby' written by Adriana Figueroa. You can find it on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VlAyEUXYM  
> It was a lucky find as it fits my story and two characters perfectly, so go give it a listen - it's beautiful. 
> 
> "In my Head Like a Catchy Song" Written by Daniel Ingram. Here's a link if interested - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne7I3ViAzRk  
> I honestly picked it for Skinny and her love because it was upbeat and cute. This is the probably the only time it will ever come up though.


	10. A Fire Ablaze

** A Fire Ablaze **

_Will you give all you can give_

_So that our banner may advance_

_Some will fall and some will live_

_Will you stand up and take your chance?_

_Will you join in our crusade?_

_Who will be strong and stand with me?_

_Then join in the fight_

_That will give you the right to be free!_

 

                “Stop!” An authoritative voice shouted above the singing.  They knew her…they all knew her…perhaps the oldest peridot to still be alive.  Old and ancient, but lovely as though she’d only emerged from the ground yesterday.  This was the one Peridot and her friends had nicknamed ‘Big Boss’.  “Yellow Agate is on her way down here, so if you all don’t want to face severe – and I mean VERY severe – punishment, you will cease this protest and turn all technology back on this instant!”

                Peridot heard Bright Eyes softly whimper and she felt nervous herself.  They both knew how little Homeworld thought of them…how serious their ‘punishments’ could be.  Peridot would never forget the sting of an electric whip on her back.  The sharp apparatus that had been forced down her throat emitting a great shock powerful enough to change her voice forever would always be with her. 

                “This isn’t just a little protest,” Spark told their supervisor confidently.  “I’m sure you feel it too – how unfairly we’re treated.” 

                “All you have to do is your job without complaint and you’ll be treated just fine.”

                “And if our job hurts other gems?  We’re told we have no choice, but I do – I have a choice.  And I choose not to force anyone else to do something they don’t want.”

                Big Boss approached Spark and in the dim light from a few of their gems, Peridot could see she looked different than she remembered.  Her lightweight dress had been replaced by a standard uniform and her hair she used to let flow loose was braided behind her.  Her eyes had a dull quality as though she’d been sleep deprived, though that couldn’t be the case; grown gems didn’t require sleep, though some liked to do it.  And Peridot realized that even their supervisor was being worn down; whether she agreed or disagreed with these rules and policies, it was her job to uphold them.

                “Then I hope you are prepared to face Yellow Agate,” Big Boss said darkly, placing her hand on Spark’s cheek.  “Because this little stunt has given the pearls hope – thousands of them all over Homeworld are abandoning their owners and refusing to work.”

                In the dark, Peridot smirked; this is exactly what she’d hoped would happen.  She caught eyes with Amethyst who stood on the other side of her.  Amethyst held her whip, just in case.  With her free hand, she reached over and squeezed Peridot’s arm. 

                Spark moved and pushed her boss’ hand away.  “We don’t deserve to be beaten or tortured or used as pawns in Yellow Diamond’s plans!”

                “That is exactly what you are!” 

                “We can be so much more than that!  We can _have_ so much more than that!”

                “No, 5XF, that is not possible!”

                “Spark.”

                “Excuse me?”

                “My name is Spark.” 

                Big Boss raised her hand and brought it down violently to strike Spark, but as the smaller peridot held her arm in front of her, their supervisor was surrounded by a yellow light and thrown back so she fell to the floor.  Spark looked in amazement at her limb enhancer.  “It’s never been that powerful before…”

                Their supervisor quickly recovered and stood, her hair messy and her uniform singed in a few places. “You still haven’t gotten those things fixed?!”

                Spark was still staring at it and ran a floating finger along the yellow stripe.  “But I have…multiple times.”

                “It’s not the limb enhancers…” Peridot said quietly. 

                “What do you mean?” Amethyst asked.

                “It’s her – she has electrokinesis.” 

                “Uhhh…”

                “Electric powers…and I think her limb enhancers actually keep it weak most of the time.”

                Big Boss gave an amused smiled.  “Well, I’ll just have to leave you at the mercy of Yellow Agate.”

                “Go ahead.  I am not afraid, but you are.  Because if we don’t stop, I’m not the only one Yellow Agate will punish.  Isn’t that right?”

                Fear crossed the older peridot’s eyes for a moment.  “You cannot leave Homeworld without technology.” 

                “It seems we just did,” Spark countered.  “And if Yellow Diamond wants it restored, she’ll listen to us and ensure we’re no longer made do things that are morally wrong and promise that we’ll no longer be mistreated.  I mean, our restrictions make no sense.  Why aren’t we allowed to fall in love?  Or have names?  Or sing?”

                Big Boss surveyed all the peridots looking at her expectantly.  What were they expecting?  A story?  She had plenty of those; a whole history of those.  And songs.  And fables.  She had known love and music and names…but she was forbidden from telling them. 

                Peridot was the first to notice that Big Boss was close to cracking.  If she truly was the most ancient peridot among them, then she had to know the reasons.  She moved Amethyst’s hand from her arm.  “Let me go to her.”  She hadn’t raised her voice in song for a while…it was unpleasant enough to her; she couldn’t imagine what others thought of its nasal quality, but she needed to use the words – the song – her love had taught her nearly one thousand years ago…

_Wandering child of the earth_

_Do you know just how much you're worth?_

_You have walked this path since your birth_

_You were destined for more_

_There are those who'll tell you you're wrong_

_They will try to silence your song_

_But right here is where you belong_

_So don't search anymore_

                “You…” Big Boss’ voice held disdain. 

                And Peridot remembered…she remembered that she once had a lovely voice and her supervisor hated her for it…for being better at singing than her.  It seemed petty, but truly Big Boss did have a great voice.  However, Peridot just couldn’t hate her in this moment realizing she, too, had lost the things she’d once had.  “They silenced me…don’t let them do the same to you.  Please, tell us what you know.”

                Her supervisor looked around nervously at all of them, then as if realizing they weren’t going to give up on this and she was about to face Yellow Agate’s punishment either way, she took a deep breath.  “Peridots weren’t always made to be technicians…long ago, before all this technology, we were scribes.  We wrote down stories – historical accounts – of Homeworld’s greatness, of our victories.  We wrote other stories too – stories to figure out why things worked the way they did – stories of faith.  Of course, this eventually lead to science and technology.  Some of those stories are still kept in logs, safe in our computer systems.  Some were passed down orally whether through speech or song.  We were the music makers, the weavers of words.  We had names.  Then…technology took over and Homeworld found out how to hide memories.  Those who were disobedient…” her eyes fell on Peridot “…had their memories buried.  However, the music centers of the brain are not affected, nor are the emotional centers.  A familiar song, the name of one’s lover…even a strong emotion attached to that gem…could trigger someone to remember the things the Diamonds wanted them to forget.” 

                _Life and death and love and birth_ , Peridot’s mind sang.  _And peace and love on the planet Earth_.  It was these words that started her remembering again. 

                “They gave us numbers; they forbade us from singing.  All those songs – ancient and new – we were not allowed to teach the next generation – all of you.  This is how they control you, but it’s evident now that they can’t crush your spirit.  All you really want are to do the things peridots were originally meant to do.  They changed the purposes of other gems too.  When they started growing gems in Kindergartens, the large gems who were once the mothers, nurturers, protectors, were free to be warriors.”

                “You mean…like rose quartz gems?”  Peridot asked, causing a murmur from the crowd behind her.  Even mentioning them was forbidden.

                “Yes…but the best mothers were actually jaspers, believe it or not,” Big Boss said with a chuckle.  “I know they don’t seem like it now.” 

                “Of course not,” Spark said bitterly, remembering the events of earlier.  “Not when you pump them full of chemicals, restrain them and make them breed.  What of that program?  That’s one thing they need to stop.  It hurts them.”

                Big Boss placed a hand on Spark’s shoulder, wincing at a small shock against her fingers.  “There was a time these things happened naturally…to those who were lucky enough to find love.  Not every gem was maternal – that’s why there were so few peridots – they didn’t take adequate care of their young.  Growing these gems in the ground proved to be slower, but with a greater yield.  As more gems were grown in the ground as opposed to being hatched, well, they sort of lost the ability, but science has once again made it possible.”

                “But it’s wrong,” Spark told her.  “Forcing them into this…taking their gemlings…if they’re as maternal as you say, they’re going to be pissed.  Is that what Yellow Diamond wants?  Her entire army of trained soldiers pissed off at her?”

                A fake sweet voice broke into the conversation.  “What she wants is all the technology turned on and every peridot back to their stations, except the three dissidents who decided to start this.  She’d like to see them personally.”  Yellow Agate stared down all the peridots.  “If not, there will be consequences.  Is that clear?”

                No one moved, instead they joined hands and stood their ground.  Yellow Agate’s eyes burned with anger and she turned it toward Big Boss.  “You had your chance to get them to stop this protest and they’re more united than ever!  What happened, 6XB?” 

                Even their supervisor was not above being afraid and said something softly so the others could not hear. 

                “Speak up!”  Yellow Agate went to hit her with her whip. 

                Big Boss caught it in her hand before it could cause her any damage.  “I said: my name is Melody!”

                Amethyst sprang forward and used her own whip to tie up a stunned Yellow Agate before she could react.   Finally, Bright Eyes moved from her spot, slowly walking forward and inviting Melody to join them. 

_Will you join in our crusade?_

_Who will be strong and stand with me?_

                Melody smiled and raised her beautiful voice, uniting with them in both song and cause.

_Do you hear the people sing?_

_Singing a song of angry gems?_

_It is the music of a people_

_Who will not be slaves again!_

_When the beating of your heart_

_Echoes the beating of the drums_

_There is a life about to start_

_When tomorrow comes_

                Their singing was silenced when they heard heavy footsteps echoing down the halls.  Peridot felt a sinking feeling deep within her as the warriors approached.  It wasn’t Jasper in her helmet, armor and cape that put her on edge, nor her thin counterpart, but the topaz with them. 

                They paid the peridots no attention, however, but continued marching on their way.  Peridot wondered briefly what was going on until she heard screams from outside.  She looked over at Spark as they both realized it was the screams of the pearls that had been protesting outside. 

                Yellow Diamond wasn’t listening…they were no doubt next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do You Hear the People Sing" lyrics from Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg.  
> (With one small lyrical change and some lyrical re-arrangement)
> 
> 'Wanderer's Lullaby' written by Adriana Figueroa. You can find it on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VlAyEUXYM


	11. Fearing Blue

** Fearing Blue **

                Aquamarine used her wand to light the hallways.  “How can they just turn off _all_ the power?  And where is Topaz?  That big lug…she should be back by now.  It can’t take that long to…breed.”

                Sapphire put a hand to the wall as a vision appeared in her mind.  She saw gems shattered, swords gleaming, white armor, a warrior kicking at Blue Diamond’s door.  She gasped as she saw the possibility of her Diamond shattering before her eyes.  “We have to go to our Diamond immediately.”

                “Are you insane?  We’re in the middle of a crisis!  We can’t just go barging into her quarters without permission!”

                “I’ve had a premonition I need to tell her about.”

                “Whatever it is, I’m sure it can…”  Screaming was heard from outside and Aquamarine rushed to the window.  “Oh, bugger!”

                Sapphire didn’t need to look.  She knew it was the White Army and she knew they were mercilessly making their way through the crowd, poofing and even shattering pearls and peridots without remorse.  Yellow Diamond may have had control over most of the military gems, but White Diamond had the most powerful and ruthless.  She watched as citrines and emeralds marched steadily toward the door in their silver and white armor.  Four onyx soldiers towered over the others, making up the back line, ensuring any gems who were poofed were also quickly shattered.  Beyond them, White Diamond’s palanquin followed and it was obvious she was using this opportunity to attack Blue Diamond and her court while their defenses were down.  Why?  Why would she be doing this?  Sapphire’s vision was less clear on that.  What was clear was that they had now broken in and there was very little time to warn her Diamond.

                “I can stay and fight.” 

                “You’ll be shattered if you do,” Sapphire warned.  “We need to get to our Diamond and protect her if necessary.”

                Sapphire didn’t wait for an answer before she grabbed Aquamarine’s hand and ran as fast as she could toward Blue Diamond’s chambers.  Thankfully, her future vision told her exactly where the white soldiers were so she could easily weave through the corridors and avoid them.  Aquamarine kept her wand lit to guide the way even though Sapphire didn’t need it.  Finally, they arrived and Sapphire banged on the tall double doors.  

                Blue Pearl answered.  “Your Clarity…”

                “I’ve had a vision I must share with my Diamond immediately.  We must protect her.” 

                Footsteps of large, warrior gems were approaching.  Aquamarine raised her wand in preparation, but the pearl let them in without asking permission.  “Why are they doing this?” she asked.

                “I don’t know, but by now, they’ve demolished the Blue Army and are on their way here.”  Sapphire demurely folded her hands in front of her and approached her Diamond. 

                Blue Diamond was pacing the floor, looking concerned.  She was wringing her hands together and gasped as an explosion came from nearby.  “Sapphire, what do you see?”

                “The White Army will come to these chambers and White Diamond will shatter you…unless you trust us fully.  If you retreat into your gem, we can bubble you and send you to Yellow Diamond.  It would give you the best chance for survival; she has soldiers to spare.” 

                “White Diamond may not have a lot of soldiers, but the ones she does have would lay waste to Yellow’s rubies and quartzes.”

                A loud bang on the door caused the room to shake.  Blue Diamond looked around in alarm. 

                “My Diamond, we don’t have much time,” Aquamarine told her. 

                Blue Diamond bowed her head, looking at them.  “I’m putting my trust in you and my life in your hands.”  Her physical form poofed away, leaving her as a gem that Sapphire caught as it fell and bubbled. 

                “You’ll take care of her, right?” Blue Pearl asked.  “I know these other pearls aren’t happy, but she’s treated me with nothing but kindness for thousands of years.”

                There was another pounding at the door and they heard a crack as it began to break.  Sapphire whispered Yellow Diamond’s name and sent the bubble off with a tap.  “We need to get out somehow.” 

                “There’s a window,” Aquamarine observed.  “Sapphire, you can float and I’ll fly carrying the pearl to safety.” 

                The doors broke open, one of the falling to the floor with a bang and the four onyx warriors entered, parting to allow another soldier to pass between them.  She was tall, protected by silver armor with intricate white designs, covering important areas from her feet to her head.  Her helmet even had a part that stretched down covering her nose.  It was hard to see her coloring in the dim light of Aquamarine’s wand.   “Where is she?!” the warrior demanded.

                Blue Pearl stepped forward.  “You can’t just come in here and…”  Her sentence and life were cut short when the soldier reached out and both poofed and shattered her with her bare hand. 

                “I’ll ask one more time: where is Blue Diamond?”

                “We haven’t seen her,” Aquamarine lied.  “We came to warn her and she was gone.” 

                “Really?”  She produced a sword and held it out in the small, blue gem’s direction.  “I don’t think you’re being truthful.” 

                Aquamarine raised her wand but the soldier kicked her arm causing her to drop it.  Thinking quickly, she grabbed Sapphire’s hand, ran toward the window and jumped.  Summoning her wings, she began to fly them to safety.   The only weapon Sapphire had were her ice powers; without Aquamarine’s wand they were defenseless.  “We have to warn Yellow Diamond if our Diamond hasn’t already.  The White Army undoubtedly will head there next.”

                It was difficult to fly holding onto Sapphire, but Aquamarine managed to get them to Yellow Diamond’s domain and in through a window.  “Do you know the way?”

                “I’m sure we can find it quickly if this place is similar to our Diamond’s.”   

                “But we don’t have a light.”  There was very little natural light coming in from the window.

                “That’s okay; I’ll guide us.”  Sapphire was used to her vision being obstructed by her hair.

                “You seem strangely calm for what’s going on.”

                “Of course I am.  I know it will get worse before it gets better, but everything will be alright.”

                Aquamarine knew she should trust this sapphire, but as her Diamond’s domain had just been taken over and they were under the very real threat of being shattered, she was having a hard time believing things would turn out okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a necessary chapter - I hope you are all ready for the next one because I just finished it and I'm really excited about it (especially the end)! Should be up in a few days after some polishing and starting on the chapter after as I like to keep a little bit ahead. :D


	12. Deceiving Appearances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you all ready for some surprises? ;)

** Deceiving Appearances **

                The inside of Yellow Diamond’s chambers was dark except for the light emitted from her gem, which drew shadows across her making her look even more intimidating as she sat on her throne.  “Jasper, what took you so long?”

                Jasper could make some excuse, but now standing in front of her Diamond, she realized excuses were meaningless and she’d hardly accept ‘playing with gemlings’ or ‘yelling at Topaz’.  She crossed her arms across her chest in a salute.  “Forgive me my Diamond.”

                “It is good you’ve returned safely…and when you did.  You have my gratitude for undertaking the Earth mission and for the soldiers you’ll no doubt produce for me.”

                “I must say, My Diamond, I was not expecting such a welcome upon my return.”

                “It was necessary.  I know how reluctant you were to participate.” 

                “What matter is so urgent that it necessitates making gems like this?”

                “I have been expecting an attack for quite some time.  And with this revolt the peridots started, I’m afraid we’ve been left defenseless, giving her the perfect opportunity.”  Yellow Diamond rested her chin on the back of her hand.  “What do you know of the White Army?”

                “I have never even seen them, but I hear mercy is not one of the qualities they possess.”

                Yellow Diamond nodded.  “This is true.  They are taught to shatter gems first and ask questions later.  They are taught to be brutal and they are well trained in the art of battle.  I know White Diamond has long sought to rule Homeworld solely by herself for millennia now.  With the peridots turning off our defenses, it’s the perfect opportunity for her to attack and she’s taking it.  In a very short time, her army will be here – led by their commander – and will crush any gems who stand in their way.  I need you to gather my troops, put together a battle plan and defend my domain.  I’m entrusting you to take on her commander and stop this reign of terror.”

                Jasper wanted to say something about the breeding program and how the lower class gems needed to be treated with more respect, but this was serious…more serious right now than how she felt or than the peridots and pearls protesting against…whatever they were protesting about.  “We’ll leave the rubies and amethysts to fight outside.  She doesn’t have many troops – just powerful ones – so that should weaken their army before they have a chance to get inside.  The jaspers, topazes and agates will take on any warriors able to make it in.  I will keep the two agates posted outside your doors.” 

                “And get those damn peridots to turn the power back on.” 

                “With all due respect, it may be a better tactic to leave it off.  Your army knows every room, corridor, nook and cranny of this place even with the lights off…the White Army doesn’t.  This would give us an advantage to ambush them.” 

                Yellow Diamond gave a pleased smile.  “Intelligence and strength – this is why you’re my ultimate quartz.  Speaking of, when you encounter White Diamond’s commander, I want her alive – do not shatter her.” 

                “You want her to join your army?”

                “I want her to help grow my army.”

                The thought disgusted Jasper as she recalled the helpless feeling of being restrained…the suffocation of Topaz on top of her.  Shattering would be kinder.  “You want me to capture her…so you can breed her?”

                “Yes.” 

                “I feel a bit conflicted about this breeding program…”

                Yellow Diamond raised her voice.  “Your feelings do not matter!  I want my army and I want strong gems to conquer other worlds!  Furthermore…”  Her sentence was cut short when a bubble appeared next to her throne and she eyed it suspiciously before popping it. 

                The gem inside rose before reforming and Blue Diamond looked around bewildered for a moment before kneeling and grabbing the other Diamond’s hands.  It was obvious even in the dim light that she was shaken by something.  “White Diamond…her army attacked…they meant to shatter me…”

                “I’ll take care of this, Blue.  Don’t worry.”  Yellow Diamond turned her attention back to Jasper.  “Take your armor and take down their army.”  She gestured to a mannequin near her throne dressed in exquisite golden armor. 

                Jasper should negotiate…she should say she’d only do it if the breeding program was stopped and if the demands of the lower classes were met…but in one respect Yellow Diamond was right: this was about more than her feelings right now.  If she didn’t act, innocent gems would be shattered and then it wouldn’t matter that they protested at all.   Innocent gems…oh Diamonds…they wouldn’t attack the nursery would they?  With White Diamond’s troops anything was possible.  They would have to get the babies to safety somehow.  Jasper slid on the arm and leg guards along with the breastplate provided, finally making her helmet appear.  She saluted her Diamond once again before backing up to leave. 

                “Pearl where are you going?” Yellow Diamond asked.

                “Well…I…” Pearl stammered.

                Jasper thought quickly.  “If I may respectfully request to take her with me, My Diamond.  Her gem will provide valuable light as I go to gather the troops.”

                Yellow Diamond paused to consider this for a moment.  “Very well.  Pearl, go with the general.” 

                They saluted again, backed out of the room and then rounded the corner before Pearl leaned against the wall and reverted to her usual form.  “I haven’t had to hold shapeshifting that long in a while.”

                “You did well,” Jasper told her.

                “I didn’t do anything.  I didn’t say anything.”

                “Exactly; you acted the part of a perfect pearl.” 

                Topaz and Skinny were waiting for them at the end of that hallway.  “When do we fight Yellow Diamond?” Skinny asked.  “Let me at her – I’m ready!  I emerged ready!”

                “Settle down.”  Jasper filled them in on what was happening.  “I plan to put rubies and amethysts on the front lines and keep the stronger gems inside the compound to fight off anyone able to get in.”

                “We’ll be up against citrines…and onyxes…and emeralds…” Topaz realized aloud. 

                “Rubies may be common soldiers, but I have faith they will fuse and take out some of those before they are able to get inside.  The amethysts, too, can hold their own,” Jasper told her.  “But we will need the stronger gems to keep the warriors and possibly White Diamond herself from reaching Our Diamond…” she looked at Skinny, “and yours.”

                A sound caught their attention…a small sound from somewhere in the dark like a cry for help.  They followed it until Pearl’s gem light fell on a tiny figure huddled in the hallway.  Jasper recognized her immediately…the gemling who had challenged her in the nursery.  Apparently, she wasn’t so brave in the dark, was she?  Jasper walked over and scooped up the little one in her arms.  “What are you doing out here?”

                “I goes with you.”  The gemling snuggled up to her hair, sniffling.  “I wannas go fight.”

                “No.  You’re too little.  We’ll fight in battle together someday, but not today.”  Jasper carried her back to the nursery where she saw Steven, Lars and the off color gems playing with the gemlings. 

                Pearl gave an exasperated sigh.  “Steven!  You’re supposed to be off looking for Peridot and Amethyst!” 

                “I found this amethyst.” Steven held up one of the gemlings. 

                “Steven, we need a safe place for these little ones.  Could you get them to the abandoned Kindergarten safely?”  Jasper asked.

                “All of them?”  Steven looked around.  “That’s a lot of gemlings…”

                “We could bubble them…” Pearl suggested, “…of course…they’d have to be poofed.” 

                “That would hurt them,” Skinny protested.  “It hurts to be poofed. Besides, how would we get thirty-or-so bubbles to the Kindergarten undetected and what about the hatchery?”

                Jasper shook her head.  “I doubt they will give the hatchery a second thought and if they do, it’s unfortunate, but we have to protect these ones.”  The gemling she held amused herself by making funny faces upon seeing her reflection in the armor and giggled.

                Steven looked around, his gaze falling on the pink human and he gasped.  “Lars!” 

                “Steven…” Lars’ voice held a warning tone. 

                “We’ll put the bubbles in Lars’ hair!”  Steven exclaimed.

                Lars jolted and shot him a look. “You’ll do what?!” 

                “It’s a portal to another dimension,” Steven explained to Jasper.  “It’s safe and I can access it.  We can bubble the gemlings, then go to the Kindergarten until this is all over and then we can take them out and let them go, no harm done.”

                “We would still have to poof them.”  Skinny looked around and her eyes reflected concern.  “I can’t hurt them like that.”

                “And if White Diamond’s army comes here, they’ll be shattered without a second thought.”  Jasper told her, putting things in perspective.  “Poofing is better than having their lives ended.  They’ll feel a small poke, a little shock and then in the bubble, they won’t know pain or fear.  They’ll be protected and they’re so young chances are they won’t remember it anyway.  We’ll need to use your weapons.” 

                Skinny hesitated, but ultimately produced her sai, handing one to Jasper.  They got to work, poofing the sleeping gemlings first with Pearl and Steven doing the bubbling.  Lars sat cross-legged on the floor while bubble after bubble was placed in his hair by Steven.  Moving on to the awake gemlings, Jasper and Skinny distracted them, then poked them in the back.  Most were so surprised and poofed so quickly they couldn’t even make a sound.  The others got the beginnings of a cry out, but also poofed easily.  Finally, the last one left was the baby Jasper held in her arms.  

                She gave the little one a gentle bounce. “I have to go fight now, okay?  You’re going someplace safe so you don’t get hurt.” 

                The gemling looked up at her with large yellow eyes and put a hand on Jasper’s cheek.  “You comes back?”

                This only reminded her of holding Rayne all those years ago.  Her daughter was part of the White Army.  Jasper could only hope she was okay…that she’d come through this alive and she would hold her in her arms again.  “Yes, I’ll come back to see you.”

                “Pwomish?”

                “I promise.”  And as if some unknown force were controlling her, she kissed the gemling on the forehead before holding her close and quickly poofing her with the sai.   She handed the tiny gem to Steven who bubbled her.  “You protect her, all of them.  You keep them safe.”  She put her fingers to her eyes, which she felt shimmering with tears. 

                “No maternal instinct, huh?” Topaz asked. 

                “Shut up.  It’s the hormones.”

                “Right.”

                Jasper growled, swiped the moisture away and handed the weapon back to Skinny.  “We don’t have time for this.  We have a battle to fight.”  She turned to the two nannies.  “Get to the hatchery, close the doors and defend it if necessary.  Hopefully the soldiers will pay it no attention, but we can’t be sure.”

                They all left the nursery, the peridots heading in the direction of the hatchery.  Steven, Lars and the off-colors split from them a little further down to head to the Kindergarten.  Jasper led the others to the quarters the military gems called home.  Already they seemed to be gearing up for battle and screams could be heard from outside.  Seeing that their general had returned, they stopped and saluted.  Jasper inspected the troops – thousands of them.  They could win…it was possible.  “The White Army is attacking us – planning to attack our Diamond.  Rubies and Amethysts will take outside positions while the rest of us defend from within.” 

                “What do we do about the protesters?” One of the warriors asked.

                “They are a secondary concern.  Once we take care of the White Army, our Diamond will decide what to do with them.  And if you encounter White Diamond’s commander…capture her alive.”  Jasper still felt conflicted about delivering her to Yellow Diamond.  No matter who this gem was or what she had done, no one deserved that.

                 The warriors sprang into action.  Jasper kept Skinny, Pearl and Topaz nearby as she made her way towards the entrance and surveyed the first hallway that crossed the main corridor.  “Skinny, stay with me on one side, you two, stay on the other side.  Have your weapons ready.  Pearl, turn your light off until we hear them approaching it and for Diamond’s sake before you attack, make sure it’s one of White’s gems.” 

                “Kind of hard to miss an emerald or a citrine,” Topaz said.  “Which is the commander?”

                “Yellow Diamond didn’t say, so we don’t know what kind of gem we’re up against.”  For all she knew, it could be White Diamond herself.  “It’ll be hard to shatter any of them – our best bet is to try and combine forces, poof them and bubble them.  We can let our Diamond do the shattering.” 

                There was a loud bang on the door that shook the hallways.  Jasper briefly wondered how many soldiers they had lost out there…how many pearls may have met their end.  No doubt they’d go after the peridots next.  Pearl produced her spear as Topaz summoned her pugil mace.  Jasper’s hand clenched around the sword she held, wondering why Yellow Diamond had given it to her.  Wasn’t her helmet and brute strength enough?  A deafening crash reverberated through the corridors as the doors were broken open and the footsteps of large gems approached. 

                “Find their technology hub; make their peridots restore the power and then show them we’re not intimidated,” an authoritative voice said. 

                “Yes, Commander.”

                Two soldiers passed them, their steps shaking the floor.  In the dark, Jasper couldn’t be sure what kind of gems they were.  There was another thing bothering her…she recognized that voice…at least she thought she did.  She tried to get a look as the commander passed her, but it was completely dark.  She felt Skinny move slightly beside her and held out an arm in front of her. 

                The commander stopped and made her own sword appear.  An intricate design lit up in white swirls on her armor and she chuckled.  “Well played…”

                Jasper’s breath caught in her throat.  She _did_ know that voice…and the commander knew they were there because there was a time when play was her training.

*

                _It was her tenth…or maybe eleventh summer…Jasper was watching her daughter make her way through the Kindergarten, trying not to be distracted, but the young gem couldn’t help stop and watch a butterfly pass by.  No time like the present to teach her to be aware of her surroundings.  Jasper leapt out from where she was hiding, grabbing Rayne and throwing her on the ground._

_“Don’t let your guard down – and don’t give me that look.  If you’d been paying attention, you would have heard me move my foot ever so slightly alerting you to the fact I was there.  If I were an enemy, I could have shattered you.”_

_Rayne quickly got to her feet and attempted an attack, but was not big enough or skilled enough.  She ended up on her back again.  “Someday I’ll defeat you in these mock battles.”_

_Jasper laughed.  “Not today.”  She extended her hand, helping her daughter up and embracing her.  “But someday far too soon, I have no doubt you will.”_

*

                This was not a mock battle…and none of the gems…the soldiers…the Diamonds…were playing.  And now…she knew they were here.  Screaming echoed from somewhere in the facility.  No, not from somewhere – from the tech hub.  Jasper sensed the commander staying absolutely still as if waiting for something and in a moment there was a whirring sound from within in the walls, beeping and the lights came back on.  White Diamond’s commander slowly turned and for the first time in millennia, Jasper found herself staring at her daughter who looked back with no recognition in her scarlet eyes.  She took a deep breath remembering the instructions of Yellow Diamond:

_I’m entrusting you to take on her commander and stop this reign of terror._

                It had not been an expression…it had been a name, she realized as the true ultimate quartz smirked and charged at them with no hint of mercy. 

Rayne of Terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was super excited to post this chapter, especially due to the end. :) I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	13. A Final Flare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last full chapter I have written, so I will be updating slowly but surely as I work on progressing this fic. I just didn't want to keep you guys waiting forever.   
> However, I am going to Beach City Con in October (and if you're going I'm in talks to be on their Fanfiction panel as well as doing two cosplay panels so yay!) - this means that I'm trying to work on fanfiction stuff during the week after work and doing cosplay on the weekends when I have more time. :)  
> So I'm shooting for a chapter a week - we're getting close to the end, but there will certainly be enough story for a few more chapters.

** A Final Flare **

                The singing had stopped as they stood huddled together at the realization that Yellow Diamond’s troops were no doubt coming to attack them.  Amethyst had quickly placed her family members at all the entrances to try and give them some time.  She and Ruby were standing by and ready.  Amethyst’s hand squeezed around her whip as she heard thunderous footsteps approaching.  

                In the dim light she noticed the figure of a large gem round the corner.  She was tall and Amethyst noticed the emblem on her uniform.  Peridot placed a hand on her shoulder as if realizing what was happening at the same time.  “That’s…”

                “White Diamond’s army…”  Spark said.  Some of the peridots behind her screamed and ran at the sight of this warrior.

                “So?”  Amethyst asked.  “We’ll take them out.”

                If Yellow Diamond was upset by the protest, she wasn’t doing anything about it now with the White Army inside her compound.  The screaming outside was because of White Diamond’s troops.  Peridot shut her eyes.  They had turned off everything – including the defense systems.  Now her soldiers were inside and they were all in great danger.  “No, her warriors aren’t like Yellow Diamond’s.  They have no mercy in them and they are well trained.” 

                Ruby summoned her gauntlet.  “Then how are we going to fight them in the dark?!” 

                “We don’t.”  Melody turned to the others.  “Alright!  You all came together to prove a point and I think we’ve done that, but right now, our soldiers need to see what they’re doing.  Back to your stations – restore the power and all defenses, now!”

                There was a scatter of activity as they all did what she asked.  The lights flickered and turned on and Amethyst found herself staring at the large soldier that two other amethysts were fighting.  She was dark with glowing eyes.  “What kind of gem is that?”

                “An onyx,” Ruby told her.  “White has the best gems fighting for her.”

                “Then why doesn’t Jasper belong to White Diamond?”  Amethyst asked.

                Peridot, who had no station to return to, shook her head.  “She’s powerful, sure, but she’s still from the Beta Kindergarten…White Diamond would have no interest in a jasper.”  She quickly reconfigured her floating fingers into a blaster, which she knew would do little damage to an onyx, but it was something. 

                Yellow Agate pulled out her whip.  “I’ll try to hold them off as long as possible.” 

                No matter the differences that had recently come between them, they were all in this together now.  Amethyst looked at her weapon and Yellow Agate’s.  “I have an idea – you go for her legs; I’ll go for her arms.”

                The problem was getting close enough to the large warrior to even have a chance.  The other amethysts were having trouble trying to fight her off.  The onyx swung at them, knocking two of them and Melody into the wall.  Amethyst jumped up and did a spin dash around her, tying her arms to her sides, giving Yellow Agate the opportunity wrap her whip around the onyx’s ankles. 

                “Alright, Famethyst – concentrate your force all at once!”  Amethyst shouted out. 

                Eight amethysts leapt up and came down hard on the onyx causing her to poof.  Amethyst went to bubble the onyx, but Yellow Agate stopped her and shattered the gem.  “Trust me, they cannot be redeemed.”

                Spark ran up, frantic, and spoke quickly to Yellow Agate.  “Defenses are up – most of the fighting is contained outside, but White Diamond is already in the compound along with her commander and one other onyx!” 

                Yellow Agate surveyed the Famethyst.  “You haven’t had much in the way of training, but…you’ll have to do.” 

                “We have training…” 8XJ countered.

                “Not like the Yellow Army and certainly not as much as White Diamond’s troops.”

                Peridot and Spark ran over to Melody and helped her up, then knelt beside her when she fell.  Spark instinctively checked her supervisor’s gem on her shoulder and gasped.  There was a crack running almost the length of it.  Melody’s body convulsed briefly before she poofed, leaving Spark holding her in her gem state.  Spark quickly tried to think of a solution, but there was no cure for a cracked gem.  “I guess we could put her in stasis…at least that way…”

                “Steven!”  Peridot exclaimed.  “We’ll find my friend Steven and he can heal her!” 

                “Uh, Per, we don’t know where Steven is,” Amethyst reminded her.  “We don’t even know if he’s…”  She couldn’t finish that sentence; the idea was too painful.

                “Right…”  Her eyes widened as she remembered what she’d seen earlier while crawling through the vents.  “There’s a rose quartz gem bubbled in Yellow Diamond’s chambers.  I’m sure she keeps her for healing purposes.”

                “Good idea, Peri.”  Spark stood, still holding her supervisor’s gem gently.  “Let’s just waltz up to Yellow Diamond’s quarters and say ‘hey, Yellow D, I know we started this whole rebellion thing and turned off our defenses leaving us vulnerable, but does your bubbled rose quartz have any tears she can spare for a peridot?’  And then Yellow Diamond will smile and say: ‘why, yes, come in and use all the tears you need’ – then she’ll have us stay for a pleasant conversation while White Diamond just takes out her gems and ultimately her.”

                “Point taken.  We could sneak in.” 

                “How?  She’s bound to have soldiers guarding her doors.” 

                Peridot kicked in a nearby vent cover.  “After you.” 

                Spark slipped into the vent first followed by Peridot.  With their limb enhancers, it was a tight fit, but they were still able to maneuver around. They switched places when they got to an opening with a ladder so Peridot could lead the way.  Crawling up the ladder, they crawled through another vent system until they finally reached the opening to Yellow Diamond’s quarters.  Peridot peered out through the slats in the vent as a pounding was heard on the door. 

                The door opened and an agate stepped in.  “My Diamond, a sapphire and aquamarine to see you.” 

                “They cannot just show up here unannounced at a time of crisis and expect…” 

                Yellow Diamond’s sentence was cut short by Blue Diamond putting a hand to her shoulder.  “They are trusted gems of my court – the ones who safeguarded my life.  Please allow them sanctuary here.”

                “Very well,” Yellow Diamond sighed as she continued to secure her armor.

                Peridot watched as Sapphire and Aquamarine ran in and the doors were shut behind them. 

                “My Diamond, it is good to see you are safe.”  Sapphire curtsied to her and to the other diamond. 

                “I am grateful for your assistance, Sapphire.  You will be rewarded when this is all over.  What can you tell me of the events that will transpire here?”  Blue Diamond asked.

                “Homeworld will never be the same,” Sapphire said simply.  “White Diamond is here.  Yellow Diamond’s troops are fighting valiantly and I feel the need to be a part of the fight.” 

                “We’re defenseless,” Aquamarine reminded her.  “And you’re…well…a sapphire.  You’re not made for battle.”

                “Nonetheless, it’s what my vision is telling me.” 

                Yellow Diamond sheathed a large sword.  “You may accompany me if you feel it’s what’s predicted, however I will offer you little in the way of protection.”

                “Understood; if my vision is to be believed, I will be alright,” Sapphire told her.

                 Blue Diamond took a step forward.  “Perhaps I can reason with her.” 

                “Reason with her?”  Yellow Diamond asked.  “She’s waging war on both of our domains and you want to reason with her?”

                Aquamarine surveyed a collection of weapons, taking a destabilizer off the rack without asking.  “Oh good, it has some charge left.”

                “Peri, she’s cracking more,” Spark whispered.

                “There’s nothing we can do until they leave unless we’re sneaky and I don’t think we’ll get past two Diamonds.  There, they’re going.”  Peridot waited until she saw the four of them leave and then pushed the vent cover open.  Sliding out, she stepped out into the upper level of the quarters, followed by Spark.  The pink gem hovered further away, but Peridot was able to extend her fingers into a rod and poke the bubble. 

                There was a light emitted from the now-free gem as it rotated, floated toward the floor and slowly emerged as a rose quartz soldier with a pink and white dress and her gem on her chest.  Her short pink hair fell in ringlets around her face.  She looked around bewildered.  “Hello?”

                Peridot and Spark quickly ran to the lower level and approached her.  Neither of them had ever seen a rose quartz gem before and were surprised by her large stature.  She stared back at them and put a hand to Peridot’s cheek.  “What have they done to the two of you?”

                “What do you mean?”  Peridot asked. 

                “Please help us.”  Spark held out Melody’s gem.  “She’s cracked and…we don’t know how to heal her.” 

                “Of course,” the rose quartz said gently accepting Melody from her.  A large tear fell from her eye and covered the peridot, flowing into the cracks causing them to seal up again. 

                Melody lifted into the air and reformed again, her long hair unbound and clad in an off-shoulder lightweight dress.  Her eyes opened in shock upon seeing the other gem.  “But…I thought…we were told you were all destroyed…”

                “I’m not sure,” she said.  “I haven’t seen another rose quartz in over five thousand years.”  She turned her attention back to the other two peridots, taking one of Spark’s limb enhancers in her hand.  “Now, let’s fix whatever this is.”

                “Oh, no, it’s not….”   “We’re not….”

                Their protests were only met with tears falling on their gems.  Peridot felt the limb enhancers break and fall off of her; her visor cracked and disappeared.  She shook her head as she felt even her hair changing and opening her mouth, an ethereal sound escaped, the last notes of the melody she had been singing when her voice was changed.  Peridot put a hand to her hair, which felt soft and less triangular and looking down she saw she was also covered in a lightweight dress that reached almost to the floor, stopping just short enough to show her sandaled feet peeking from under it.  She and Spark looked at each other awkwardly.  They were the same height as Melody; Spark was dressed much the same, but her dress was a two piece accounting for her gem being in her navel and her hair, while still sticking up looked less severe, less spiky.  It should have just fixed things that were wrong with them, not change them completely.  It was then Peridot realized…this rose quartz had never seen an Era Two model…her tears corrected them to have the same features and qualities as their Era One counterparts.

                Without warning, Melody embraced both of them.  “Thank you.  Your quick thinking saved my life.”  She turned to the rose quartz and thanked her as well. 

Peridot faced the pink gem.  “What name do you go by?”  She put her hand to her throat, unfamiliar with this voice she hadn’t heard in almost one thousand years.

                The large gem smiled as color came to her cheeks.  “I’m Blush.”

                Spark looked over and surveyed her friend’s outfit.  “Peri…why do we have diamonds on our clothes…but you have a star?”

                Peridot glanced down and saw a delicate sparkly star decorating the V-neck of her dress.  “Because…I’m a Crystal Gem…and they need my help!” 


	14. Made of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this one on my computer for about a week and I'm not far into the next one so you may wait a little bit for the next chapter but hopefully not too long - just been tired most nights after work. I just didn't want to wait too much longer to post this one. The next one will be quite climactic - we've only got maybe 3 chapters left if I planned this correctly. 
> 
> Anyway, I've looked forward to writing this particular chapter from the get-go - there's a particular scene in here I've had in my mind even in the planning stages before I even started writing that I love.

** Made of Love **

                Pain shot through Jasper’s back and head as she was thrown against a wall.  She leapt to her feet and charged toward Rayne just in time to push Pearl out of the way of her sword, deflecting it with her arm guard.  “Pearl, Skinny – get out of here and to safety!” 

                “No, I want to take her down!”  Skinny ran toward the white soldier and dodged her sword only to be kicked several feet away. 

                “She’s way too powerful!” 

                “How is this possible?”  Topaz attempted an attack with her pugil mace, but had to use it to quickly stop Rayne’s sword.  “She’s just a jasper!  Why is she so strong?”

                “I don’t know,” Skinny said brandishing her sai.  “But I’m taking this bitch down now!”  She rushed in and jumped at Rayne kicking her in the back.  Rayne responded by whirling around, grabbing Skinny’s ankle and tossing her halfway down the hall. 

                “I don’t waste my time on pointless fights.”  Rayne turned toward Topaz and charged at her, sword blazing.  In an instant, Topaz was split and before they could reform, Rayne skewered one with her sword causing her to poof.  She grasped the fallen gem in her hand.  “It’s pathetic you use fusion to fight battles.”

                Topaz reached out.  “Don’t hurt her…”

                “I should give her to White Diamond.  We’ll turn her into a proper warrior with no need for fusion.” 

                “I can’t be without her.”

                Rayne’s eyes flickered to Topaz as her fingers clenched cracking the gem she held. 

                “No, don’t!”

                Topaz’s pleas went unheeded and she watched in horror as the other half of her was crushed to pieces in Rayne’s hand and carelessly scatted on the floor.  “Your turn.”

                Jasper had no choice but to step in front of Topaz, knowing the other gem would be in such a state she wouldn’t think to save herself.  She knocked Rayne’s sword away, but couldn’t bring herself to actually attack.  Despite what she’d seen and despite not knowing how her own child could have come to be so callous, she couldn’t hurt her.   

                “You’re good at defense,” Rayne said.  “But did Yellow Diamond never teach you to actually FIGHT?!” 

                _This is not the Rayne I know_ , Jasper tried telling herself.  _This is not the daughter I raised._   It was clear that something had been done to her mind, but it was still her.  She had Snow’s beautiful complexion and her eyes...her figure.  If the nose piece of her helmet were lifted, Jasper knew they’d have the same gem.  However, Rayne seemed to have no memory of her mother…or possibly that she’d ever belonged to another Diamond.  Jasper deflected an attempted kick.  “Don’t you know me at all?”

                Rayne’s only response was to grab her by the hair, spin her around and let go so she hit the wall with force enough to dent it.  “You’re a fool not to keep your hair in your helmet.”

                Jasper made a move to get up and saw a flash of blue as Skinny ran after Rayne again.  She rolled her eyes and rose to her feet.  Skinny had no training and was going to get herself shattered.  Rayne looked almost bored and simply held out her arm, which Skinny ran into and hit the floor.  The white soldier picked her up by her appearance modifier.  “And you…you’re a pathetic excuse for a jasper.” 

                “You’re the one who shatters gems who did nothing wrong!”  Skinny shot back. 

                Still holding onto her, Rayne picked her sword up from the floor.  “I am my Diamond’s most trusted warrior.  And now…I’m gonna shatter you.”

                “You sure about that?”  A voice asked. 

                Both Rayne and Skinny looked over to see around fifty quartz gems in blue uniforms led by a short amethyst and a ruby.

                Amethyst held her whip menacingly between her hands.  “You mess with our sister, we’ll mess you up.  We just took down two onyx soldiers, so we’re warmed up and ready to kick your ass.”

                Jasper stood.  “You’re outnumbered, Rayne, let her go.  I know they haven’t trained you to be stupid.” 

                Rayne turned and gave her a dangerous look.  “How dare you…”  She unceremoniously dropped Skinny to the ground.  “Do you just go around addressing everyone so casually?  I am White Diamond’s commander – overseeing her entire army.  A lowly general of Yellow Diamond does NOT call me by my NAME!”

                “I gave you that name!”  Jasper grabbed her by the arms and slammed her up against the wall.  “Why do you think I can’t attack you?” 

                “Let me go!”

                “No – I know you don’t remember, but we fought together before under Pink Diamond!  Then I lost you – White Diamond took you from me!  So, now that I have you here, I’m never letting you go again!” 

                And there was something in her eyes…a flash of recognition…of remembrance.  “M…”

                What was left of the large doors crashed to the ground and a large figure entered that made them all tremble…all except Rayne who quickly forgot whatever was trying to bubble to the surface of her mind as she kicked Jasper away, sheathed her sword and approached her Diamond with a salute. 

                Jasper slowly got up and motioned for the others to retreat.  She had to grab Topaz by her uniform and practically drag her away.  They all gathered near the technology hub and Jasper looked over the blue quartzes.  “I’m almost afraid to ask, but how many of you have actual military training.”  She glanced at Skinny.  “I know you haven’t, Miss Just-Run-In.  You could have gotten yourself shattered.”

                “But I didn’t.” 

                “You could have!  If they hadn’t shown up, she’d have killed you!”  She turned her attention to the rest of them.  “Does anyone here have real battle training?”  The answer became apparent as the Famethyst looked at each other awkwardly. 

                Yellow Agate approached.  “Blue Diamond is the diplomatic type.  She never put emphasis on training her warriors.  They’re used as guards mostly.” 

                “White Diamond is inside along with a very powerful soldier.  I’m not sure how many of her troops are outside.  Yellow Diamond’s warriors are all throughout this compound ready to take them on, but I’m going to need the cooperation of every quartz soldier if we’re going to get through this.”  Jasper turned to the Famethyst.  “Despite your lack of training, you all have qualities and skills that could benefit us during this time.  From now on, you listen to any and all instructions given to you by either myself or Yellow Agate.  I know you may be wondering why and the reason is simple: White Diamond has become an enemy to all of us at this point, so we need to work together for the benefit of our Diamonds.”

                “I still don’t understand how one of us got to be so strong,” Skinny said.  “I mean, we’re great, sure…well…some of us…but she’s on a whole other level.”

                Jasper had no answer but before she could even begin to ponder the reasons why, she looked over to see two small blue gems rounding the corner.  The aquamarine could be of some use, but the sapphire was in a very dangerous situation.  Why was she here anyway?

Yellow Agate approached them.  “Your Clarity, you should get to safety.”

Ruby’s eyes grew wide and she ran forward.  “Sapphire!” 

Sapphire pulled back as Ruby tried to take her hands.  “Do I know you?”

Hurt reflected in the small soldier’s eyes.  “Sapphire…we…how can you not know me after all we’ve been through?”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.” 

The hallways shook with tremendous force and the voices of both Yellow Diamond and White Diamond could be heard from nearby.  Jasper looked over where Topaz and Aquamarine were talking softly.  Topaz was sitting against the wall, crying.  Aquamarine put a hand on the large gem’s shoulder.  “I know I made fun of you for being a fusion…but I am sorry.  That Rayne of Terror is ruthless.”

“I just don’t know how I’ll go on without Topaz,” Topaz sobbed.

Jasper wanted to simply go forward, find Rayne and make her remember.  Either that, or she needed to help Yellow Diamond somehow, but she decided to spare a moment for this gem she didn’t even like.  She knelt down beside Topaz.  “I lost my love in the war for Earth.  It’s…a deep loss and there’s nothing anyone can say when that happens…especially when you see it happen.  You go on, but you’re never the same; half of you – the better half – is gone.  Time helps, but that pain never really fades completely.”

                “You are better…kinder…than that other jasper.”

                “Because I didn’t shatter your love?”

                “Actually…that was me.”

                “In my defense, you both look alike.  I know you’re hurting, but we’ll make them pay for every gem they shattered.  Come on.”  Jasper stood and offered a hand to Topaz.  “Let’s put everything aside for now and fight together.”

                Topaz rose to her feet and hugged Jasper without warning.  Jasper considered pushing her away and punching her; she got a sinking feeling deep in her core at the touch, but gave the other gem a pat on the back awkwardly before pulling away.  Screaming from another area of the tech hub caught their attention.  Jasper, Skinny and Topaz ran over and saw Rayne holding up one of the peridots. 

                “Turn off the defenses – NOW!”  She threw the green gem hard on the ground. 

                The terrified technician pressed a few buttons on her computer, then collapsed to the floor trembling.  Rayne raised her sword.  “Pathetic…”

                “That’s it…”  Skinny rushed in and kicked Rayne, ending up on the floor having not moved the white soldier at all. 

                “You again?  How many times do I have to try and kill you?!” 

                “How many times do I have to tell her to listen to orders?”  Jasper muttered under her breath before running over and grabbing Skinny by the arm, sliding her away.

                “Hey, I had her!”  Skinny protested. 

                “You did not!”  Jasper turned to Rayne.  “And you – you’re better than this, so stop right now!”

                Rayne laughed.  “Give me one good reason.”

                The words were out before she could even stop herself.  “Because I said so!”

                Rayne’s eyes widened in either fear or recognition – Jasper couldn’t tell which.  In an instant, she let out a cry of pain and disappeared as her armor fell to the floor.  Skinny lay there, a destabilizing sai in one hand and Rayne’s gem in the other.  “Told you I’d get you, bitch.”

                “How?”  Topaz asked. 

                “Easy,” Skinny said, standing.  “The back of her ankle wasn’t covered.”  She held the gem out to Topaz.  “You want to do the honors?”

                Topaz’s demeanor turned dark.  “You bet I do…”

                “No!”  Jasper exclaimed.  She had to think of something quick as the other two surveyed her as if asking why they shouldn’t shatter Rayne.  “Yellow Diamond’s orders.  I’m to bring White Diamond’s commander to her alive.”  She reminded herself that shattering would be kinder.  “She’s to be used for breeding.”

                Skinny handed the gem to Jasper who cradled her gently in her hands.  She wasn’t exactly sure how to bubble other gems and needed to find Pearl.  She had to keep Rayne safe until she figured out what to do with her…how to help her.  She couldn’t turn her over to Yellow Diamond, but if they didn’t restore her mind, she’d just keep attacking them. 

                Hurried footsteps approached and the soldiers turned to see three peridots running down the hallway.  One tripped and quickly got up.  “How am I supposed to run in this dress?”

                “Usually, we walk gracefully, but this requires speed,” the one in the middle explained.

                They stopped in front of the quartzes and Jasper looked them over.  They were Era One peridots…no…one was clearly Spark, but she looked different and the one on the other side with the star on her dress… “Peridot?  What?  How?”

                “Our friend, Blush, helped us.  She can help other gems too – if they’re injured.”

                The rose quartz soldier smiled at Jasper.  She approached and placed a hand on her cheek.  “You…you are carrying life inside you.” 

                Jasper roughly pulled away.  “Don’t remind me.”  Could the gemlings actually already be forming?  Did it happen that quickly?  She’d lost track of how long it had been.  Not terribly long though with the way she noticed Peridot’s eyes widened at the sight of Topaz.  Jasper glared at the yellow gem. “Oh yeah…I still need to punish you for that, too.”

                Topaz looked down, clearly feeling guilty for all her crimes that day.  She approached Peridot.  “I…I have no excuse.  The way I treated you…what I did…was wrong.  I deserve whatever punishment the general gives me.” 

                Peridot gazed at her fingers, nervously clenched together.  The assault was fresh in her mind, but she realized something in that moment…these fingers were not the ones she’d previously had.  Her body had been rebuilt, reformed, made new and whole.  It didn’t take away the trauma completely, but this mouth she had…her throat…were new and pure.  “I now have a body you’ve never touched…and right now, we have a lot more to worry about.”  She noticed the gem that Jasper held.  “That looks like you.”

                “She…her memories have been tampered with.  I need her to remember who she was…to remember me.”

                “Music.  When she comes around, if there’s a song she’d know, sing it to her.”

                “I don’t sing.”

                “It’s the best reversal for this kind of alteration.” 

                “Peri!”  Spark called from the computer room.  Peridot placed a hand on Jasper’s arm comfortingly and then ran into the room where Spark was holding onto Bright Eyes.

                “This soldier came in…she told me to turn off the defenses…” Bright Eyes explained.  “I don’t know who she was.  The voice wasn’t familiar.”

                Blush entered the room.  “Can you describe what she looked like?”  She gasped as Bright Eyes turned her head toward the unfamiliar voice.  “Oh stars…what have they done to you?”

                “Please, Blush, if anyone deserves this, it’s her,” Spark said.

                The rose quartz smiled and let a tear well up allowing it to fall on the peridot’s gem in the middle of her chest.  They looked away from the brilliant light and in a moment, Bright Eyes was sitting on the floor, as elegant as the other three, her hands covering her face. 

                “It’s okay,” Peridot told her gently.  “It may take a moment to get used to it.”

                Bright Eyes lowered her hands and let her eyelids open, blinking a few times to get used to the light and looked at her friends for the first time in hundreds of years.  “Is this…is this a dream?” 

                “Of course not.”  Blush extended her hand and helped her up.  “I healed you.” 

                Tears came to her new eyes and she wrapped her arms around the large gem.  “Thank you!  Thank you!”

                Their joy only lasted a few moments before they heard commotion from the common area of the tech hub.  The defenses had been down; there were now more soldiers.  They were unsure how they’d help, but they ran toward the action anyway.  Multiple quartz warriors were attacking citrines and emeralds. 

                Rayne had reformed and went straight for Skinny.  She wasn’t quite as terrifying without her armor, though she still had her helmet and sword as weapons.  “I will NOT be poofed by your defective ass!”

                Jasper assessed the situation.  There were three emeralds and four citrines.  The Diamonds were nowhere to be seen though from the way the floor shook every now and then, they had to be fighting close by.  An emerald launched at Sapphire, but Ruby jumped in the way and punched her, which at least got her distracted, but not down.  “Don’t hurt her!” 

                Jasper’s gaze flickered to Peridot, then back to Ruby and Sapphire.  She remembered the fight on the ship…months ago when they’d first come to Earth.  She remembered how powerful Garnet was…and she remembered Peridot’s advice.  “Ruby!  Sing to her!” 

                “What?!” the red gem asked, deflecting an attack. 

                Jasper rushed in and kicked the emerald forcefully away.  “Peridot said – for whatever reason – music brings the mind back – sing to her!  I’ll take care of this chunk of rock.”

                Ruby grabbed Sapphire’s hand and rushed her over to the wall.  If it might work, if it was the only way, she had to try.  “Where did we go?  What did we do?  I think we made something entirely new,” she sang.  Tears flooded her eyes.  This had to work – it HAD to – she couldn’t lose Sapphire.  She put a hand to her lover’s cheek.  “And it wasn’t quite me and it’s wasn’t quite you…I think we made someone entirely new.” 

                Sapphire remained silent for a second for a second, then hummed a few familiar notes.  Her mind was filled, not with visions of the future but memories of the past.  Ruby had been one of her guards – she’d saved her – they’d saved each other.  Fusion…the ultimate connection between gems…they were one…they were made for each other…made of… “Lo-o-o-o-ove…” A stream of tears flowed from her eye.  “Ruby…how could I have forgotten you?” 

                Ruby smiled, continuing the song.  “I am their fury…”

                “I am their patience…”  Sapphire answered.

                And coming together, they started dancing amid the chaos.  “I am a conversation…”

                Ruby spun Sapphire around until a bright light shone blocking them from view and when it disappeared Garnet stood there, ready for action.  She summoned her visor along with her gauntlets and went after the emerald. 

_And you're not gonna stop what we made together._

_We are gonna stay like this forever._

_If you break us apart, we'll just come back newer._

_And we'll always be twice the gem that you are._

                “Really?!”  Jasper used her helmet against the emerald, who was weakening, but still would not poof. 

                “What can I say?  It’s our song.”  Garnet doubled her gauntlets in size and hit the emerald as hard as she could at the same time Jasper attacked, finally causing her to poof.  Garnet bubbled her and sent her off with a tap. 

                “You should have shattered her,” Jasper said. 

                “Crystal Gems don’t do that; it’s not our way. Not unless there's no other option.”

                Jasper’s eyes surveyed Garnet, then she gazed in Rayne’s direction.  Her daughter was in the middle of trying to cut Skinny with her sword.  Skinny, however, was quite nimble and kept dodging, occasionally getting a hit in on Rayne, which seemed to aggravate her more.  It was all coming together in her mind.  She’d said it before…

_Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger._

                But…if two strong gems fused…they’d make an even stronger fusion.  When she and Lapis had fused, they’d made Malachite, who had been incredible and she hadn’t even been a stable fusion.  She and Snow had both been very powerful and while Rayne might not be a proper fusion, she had the strength of one.  Rayne had also been made of love.  If she was the same as a fusion, then only a fusion could beat her. Skinny was doing a great job of avoiding her, but was never going to be able to defeat Rayne on her own.  The rest of the Famethyst was concentrating on taking down the citrines.  Members of the Yellow Army had arrived to go after the emeralds.  Yellow Diamond had charged her with taking care of Rayne.  Who could she fuse with to make that happen?  She briefly considered Topaz…no, they’d already been too close recently.  There was Garnet, but she wasn’t certain of that either and besides, fusion of different types of gems was still frowned on here. 

                She focused her attention again on Rayne as she punched Skinny and threw her to the ground.  Skinny swore and tried attacking again.  Jasper shook her head; this gem was going to get her ass shattered.  However, she had the motive and drive to take Rayne out and Jasper had the brawn and fighting skills.  Working together, they could do it.  She ran over and knocked Skinny out of the way, both of them falling to the floor and rolling several feet away. 

                “Skinny, fuse with me!”

                “What?!” 

                “She has the power of two gems – it may be the only way!” 

                “As long as I get to destroy this bitch, sure!” 

                They stood and Skinny held out her hand allowing herself to be pulled into a dance.  From somewhere nearby, Jasper heard Spark yell: “No!”  However, she ignored it as she abandoned all sense of who she was and invited Skinny to share her mind and body for a while. 

                Rayne laughed.  “Really?  You have to resort to THAT to even have a CHANCE of beating me?!  Pathetic.”  She held out her sword. 

                Before they could attack each other however, the room shook even more violently than ever before and one of the walls crumbled away as White Diamond and Yellow Diamond crashed through it.  Yellow Diamond attempted to get up, but it was obvious she was gravely injured.  White Diamond raised her spear and violently turned the other Diamond over.  “Without you protecting her, Blue will be no threat to me at all.”  She plunged the spear right through Yellow Diamond’s gem and she disappeared as pieces of her lay on the floor. 

                Yellow’s domain was taken.


	15. A Little Fall of Rayne

** A Little Fall of Rayne **

                Yellow Diamond’s subjects looked in horror at their leader in pieces on the floor.  She may have not been the most compassionate ruler ever, but Jasper had faithfully served this Diamond.  She felt not only her disbelief, but Skinny’s rage as well.  It almost caused them to fall apart, but they stayed merged.  Now they not only had Rayne to deal with but White Diamond as well.

                Rayne turned her attention to them with a smug look on her face.  Jasper could sense Skinny’s annoyance and how much she wanted to punch Rayne in the face.  She hoped Skinny understood how much Jasper did not want to fight her. 

                White Diamond surveyed the fallen Diamond’s subjects.  “Those who swear their loyalty to me now will be spared.  Those who do not face shattering.”

                “Hold on!  There is still another Diamond we’re loyal to,” 8XL said, stepping forward from the Famethyst. 

                “Rayne,” White Diamond said simply.

                With a flash of her sword, Rayne sliced through 8XL and quickly stomped on her gem shattering her. 

                Anger boiled inside them and Jasper realized most of it was from Skinny.  Her own feelings were still that of disbelief…disbelief that for the second time, the Diamond she served had been destroyed and disappointment that even this did nothing to jog her daughter’s memory.  Rayne was still loyal to White Diamond. 

                _I want to attack this bitch_ , Skinny said inside their combined consciousness. _I want to take her down and shatter her._

                _We can’t_ , Jasper told her.  _She’s to be used for…_

                _For nothing – Yellow Diamond is dead.  With your strength I can finally get rid of her!_

                “Any of you other rejects want to even TRY?!”  Rayne yelled.

                “Oh, it is ON!”  Amethyst cried as she raced forward. 

                Rayne swung her sword at Amethyst and missed.  She let out a frustrated growl as the small purple gem blew her a raspberry.  That’s when Jasper and Skinny realized at the same time that Rayne had been trained to fight the biggest and most powerful gems.  Her training had ill-prepared her to deal with those who were short or thin…she was reserved for battling perfect warrior gems, not defective ones.  Unfortunately, if she were to attack them, that would be the end of them…but that appeared to be a big ‘if’.  Thus far, she hadn’t been able to take out Skinny. 

Music could bring her back – a familiar song could break through all the tampering that had been done to her mind.  She recalled the day she’d brought Grace to her execution and how her lover –a small Era Two peridot had been there as well, but had not been sentenced to the same fate.  She had been sentenced to ‘advanced reeducation’ – their term for memory tampering.  And that same gem was in this very room.  Jasper made a conscious decision to unfuse from Skinny with a pop and they both fell to the floor.  “Skinny, work with Amethyst to distract her – only to distract.”  Once the thin jasper had joined Amethyst in this task, Jasper stood, adjusted her helmet and timed her spin dash perfectly to weave between the other quartzes and ram into Rayne, pinning her to the wall.  “Peridot!  Do it!”

                “Do what?” Peridot asked.

                “Sing it!”  Jasper squeezed Rayne’s wrist and shook it until she dropped her sword.  She was having trouble controlling her.  “The lullaby Grace taught you!”

                Peridot remembered what had been done to her.  If there was a chance this jasper’s memory had been altered, it would only be the kind thing to do to set it right.  She moved past the chaos of gems clashing, of the Famethyst working alongside the Yellow Army’s best soldiers in an attempt to take on White Diamond.  Garnet was huddled together with Pearl and Amethyst no doubt to hatch a plan.  She gasped in horror as gems were shattered around her.  Blush, no doubt unprepared after thousands of years in a bubble, was taken out quickly and broken into pieces.  Aquamarine was pinned against a wall by a citrine and only escaped death when Topaz attacked full force with her mace allowing the small blue gem to use the destabilizer on their enemy. 

                “Peridot!”  Jasper slammed Rayne up against the wall again, struggling to restrain her.  “Now!”

                Peridot stepped up alongside Jasper and reached her hand out, gently touching Rayne’s cheek before she began singing. 

_Wandering child of the earth_

_Do you know just how much you're worth?_

_You have walked this path since your birth_

_You were destined for more_

                Rayne jerked away from Peridot’s touch, her eyes shut tight as though she was in pain.  She reached up and tried to pry Jasper’s hand away from her. 

                “It’s working,” Jasper said.  “Keep singing!”

_There are those who'll tell you you're wrong_

_They will try to silence your song_

_But right here is where you belong_

_So don't search anymore_

                Rayne opened her eyes and they darted around as though she realized everything she’d known was wrong and she wanted to escape any kind of painful memories she may have had…or any awful things she’d done.  She released her grasp on Jasper and lowered her gaze, breathing heavily.  Peridot, seeing this change, touched her shoulder and made her voice as gentle as possible.

_You are the dawn of a new day that's waking_

_A masterpiece still in the making_

_The blue in an ocean of grey_

_You are right where you need to be_

_Poised to inspire and to succeed_

_You'll look back and you'll realize one day_

                A tear fell from Rayne’s eye as her face reflected recognition and she looked at Jasper with no reason to struggle.  “I’m sorry I forgot you…Mom…” 

                Jasper longed to hug her – hold her – after so many years, but before she could even smile, a blur of blue smashed into Rayne knocking her to the ground, her helmet flying off and sliding across the floor.  Aquamarine was on her, destabilizer in hand.  “You think you can just shatter whoever you want?!  I may seem heartless, but you mess with Topaz, then you’re messing with me!”  

                Rayne punched Aquamarine into the wall and kicked her hand causing her to drop the destabilizer, which she picked up and broke.  “Just because I got my memories back, don’t think I won’t smash you into the ground!”

                Jasper wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or appalled.  Rayne was definitely her daughter.  Topaz stepped up beside her.  “No matter what anyone does to you, Commander, it was still you doing the shattering…right, Jasper?”

                She could eat her words.  It had been easy to say it to Topaz, but it was a lot harder to apply this concept to her own child.  However, Rayne wasn’t a child and she _had_ ruthlessly shattered gems and the look on her face told Jasper that she remembered all of that.  It didn’t matter if she was following orders or not; she had still destroyed gems and regret did not erase it or bring the dead back.  The Famethyst, Topaz, everyone who had lost someone at Rayne’s hands had every right to demand she be shattered herself.  With Yellow Diamond gone, her orders to capture Rayne alive no longer stood; Jasper could not protect her. 

                Rayne stood in front of them, unable to look Topaz in the eye.  “White Diamond did this to us, didn’t she?  Separated us and altered my mind.”  When Jasper nodded, Rayne picked up her sword.  “I’m going after her.”

                Jasper grabbed her arm.  “Are you insane?  That’s a suicide mission!”

                Her daughter smiled sadly.  “After everything I’ve done, we both know they won’t let me live.”

                Jasper had wanted only one thing – to hold Rayne in her arms again, but if she hugged her now, she’d never let go.  “Be safe.” 

                Rayne took off into the battle, pushing gems out of the way to get to White Diamond.  Jasper turned her attention to the Crystal Gems.  “You seem as though you three have a plan.” 

                “We do,” Garnet said simply.  “Now, what is her commander up to?”

                “She’s going after White Diamond.” 

                “Is she crazy?”  Amethyst asked.  “Not only is she going to die but she’ll totally ruin our plan!”

                “Not necessarily.  She may be a good decoy for us to pull this off,” Garnet told her. 

                Jasper growled at her calling Rayne a decoy.  She heard Skinny cry out from somewhere amid the fighting and rushed in to help, knocking away the emerald that was attacking. 

                Garnet glanced over, noticing Rayne taking down one of her former soldiers.  She saw White Diamond’s head turn and knew this might be their only chance.  “Now!” 

                While Garnet ran forward toward her goal, Pearl and Amethyst rhythmically moved toward each other, gems glowing, until they touched and in a flash, Opal stood in their place.  She summoned her bow and reached a hand out when Garnet threw her something that flashed yellow in the light.  Opal fixed the shard of Yellow Diamond onto the end of her arrow and exhaled as she drew it back. 

                White Diamond looked down at Rayne in disbelief.  “You would dare turn against me?”

                “You took me from my family!  You changed my memories!  You turned me into a heartless war machine for your own benefit!” 

Rayne charged toward her at the same time Opal released her arrow, which flew through the air, catching White Diamond off guard and pierced deep into her gem.   Her breath caught as she cracked and gave Opal a murderous look before shattering with a great explosion.  A few gems were poofed as shards impaled them and Rayne was thrown several feet, hitting the wall and falling to the ground hard. 

Jasper stood and surveyed the gems in the room.  The few left from the White Army had stopped fighting, most of the Yellow Army and the Famethyst seemed unharmed.  She looked in the direction of the Crystal Gems where Amethyst and Pearl had unfused.  Skinny stood from among the fallen gems, staggering over to where Aquamarine was hovering near Topaz’s shoulder.  She heard soft crying from another direction and saw Peridot holding a sobbing Spark while tears slid down her own cheeks.  Pieces of multiple peridots lay shattered in front of them.  Part of her wanted to go and see if they were okay, but her main concern was for her daughter. 

She made her way over to where Rayne lay motionless on the floor, knelt down and for the first time in millennia, took her child in her arms.  Rayne gasped and let out a small cry of pain.  Her hair fell away from her face, revealing her gem, cracked with the tip missing.  “No…I just got you back…” 

Rayne managed a small smile.  “Don’t worry…it doesn’t hurt.”

The only rose quartz who could have helped had been shattered and Steven was too far away to get to them in time…if he had even survived.  It may not matter anyway with a piece of her missing; she was likely beyond healing.  Jasper stroked her cheek and felt tears flood her eyes.  She hoped there was a dimension somewhere beyond this one where perhaps Snow waited with Grace to be reunited with her child.  Rayne’s physical form glitched and a piece of her arm was sunken in as though she was made of glass.  If Jasper didn’t say the words now she would lose her chance.  “I love you, Rayne.” 

Rayne’s voice was weak.  “I love you too, Mom.”

Skinny had approached them and also knelt down.  “This…this is your daughter?”

“Why do you think I couldn’t attack her?”  Jasper asked.  “It took thousands of years to get her back and now…”

Peridot hugged Spark and turned her toward Melody who took over comforting her.  She walked over and sat on the floor next to Rayne. 

“Grace?”  Rayne asked. 

                “No,” Peridot answered.  “But I knew her.” 

                “And you sing, too...right?”

                Peridot nodded.  “I’ll sing you to sleep.” 

_In your eyes there is doubt_

_As you try to figure it out_

_But that's not what life is about_

_So have faith there's a way_

_Though the world may try to define you_

_It can't take the light that's inside you_

_So don't you dare try to hide_

_Let your fears fade away_

                Jasper noticed how light Rayne felt in her arms as more cracks and depressions appeared in her physical form.  The fissures on her gem were spreading and getting deeper.  Her eyelids were fluttering as though she was fighting the inevitable.  Jasper was afraid if she held her any tighter, she’d just poof her before she disappeared entirely.  She ran her fingers through Rayne’s hair.  “It’s okay…you can stop fighting.” 

_You are the dawn of a new day that's waking_

_A masterpiece still in the making_

_The blue in an ocean of grey_

_You are right where you need to be_

_Poised to inspire and to succeed_

_Soon you'll finally find your own way_

                Rayne’s eyes were closed now and she gasped once before her gem cracked and shattered completely and she was gone.  Jasper stayed, kneeling there with empty arms and didn’t try to stop the torrent of tears escaping her eyes.  Despite the circumstances, she had gotten her wish. 

No one was fighting anymore; without a Diamond to command them, it seemed pointless. Multiple gems looked around the room as it was flooded with light from the rising sun outside and all wondered what was going to happen now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Wanderer's Lullaby' written by Adriana Figueroa. You can find it on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VlAyEUXYM


	16. Last Refrain

** Last Refrain **

The first thing the Crystal Gems realized they needed to do was track down Steven.  They needed to confirm he and the others were okay.  They also realized there was one Diamond left and didn’t want to find out what she would do to them if they were caught.  They weren’t sure what her plans were for Homeworld or the rebellious gems either. 

Using her future vision, Garnet led them to the abandoned Kindergarten and they were easily reunited with Steven, each of them hugging him, glad he was safe. 

“So, all the Diamonds are defeated?”  Steven asked.

“All except Blue Diamond,” Garnet replied.  “So, we should get those baby gems to the nursery and leave because we have no idea what she may do to us.”

Steven turned to the off-color gems.  “You can all come with us – to Earth, I mean.”

“There is also the possibility that things may change on Homeworld for the better,” Garnet said.  “However, I understand if you don’t want to stay and find out.”

The off-colors looked at each other and quietly conversed aside from when Padparadscha gasped and proclaimed: “Steven will come back for us!”

In the end, Rutile turned to them.  “We can’t take a chance that things _might_ change.”

Garnet nodded in understanding.  “Amethyst and I will take you to the ship while Pearl, Steven and Lars go to the nursery.  We’ll have to be careful as there may be gems still intent on fighting.” 

As they exited the Kindergarten, they all looked around in a mix of awe and horror at the multiple gem shards littering the area outside Yellow Diamond’s domain.  A lone ruby sat on the steps, staring off at nothing as though completely traumatized by the events that took place.  A few amethysts milled around; one briefly looked in their direction and then away as there was no point in attacking.  There was no resistance upon entering the compound.  Warrior gems sat in the hallways, eyeing the off-colors and Crystal Gems suspiciously, but too busy nursing their wounds or mourning their dead to bother going after them.

Steven, Pearl and Lars headed first to the hatchery, to discover that it had remained untouched.  The peridot nannies seemed happy to hear the plan had worked and at least the gemlings were safe, but their eye reflected nervousness upon hearing about the fall of two Diamonds and the destruction of so many gems. 

Back in the nursery, they went to work, taking the gemlings from Lars’ hair and popping the bubbles to let them free.  The babies, unaffected by their ordeal, immediately went back to playing, fighting or even sleeping despite being in stasis for so long.  “We probably should get in touch with the medical techs and see about tracking down their parents,” one of the nannies said.  “If they’re not being raised for an army anymore, then maybe their mothers want them back.”

“A lot of warrior gems were shattered,” Pearl told her.  “There’s a possibility that some of these gemlings don’t have parents anymore.”

Steven picked up a small jasper.  “Aww, you’re the one who liked our Jasper.”

“Where is she?  She comes back?”

“I’m sure she will.  Hey, Pearl, let’s take this one to see Jasper.”

Pearl gently placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.  “Steven, Jasper just lost her own daughter in the rebellion.”

Steven’s eyes widened.  “She was a mother?” 

“Yes and now she’s…”  Pearl hesitated; there was no word for a mother who had lost their child.  “I don’t think she wants to see babies right now.”

Steven stroked the little one’s hair and set her down.  “I’m sure Jasper will come visit you soon.”  He followed Pearl and Lars out of the nursery and back to an area where it looked like a great battle had taken place.  Steven gazed around at the shards scattered about on the floor, being careful not to step on any.  He saw Amethyst hugging and saying goodbye to members of her family.  Peridot was huddled on the floor with two other peridots and Steven noticed how different she looked, though the star clearly meant it was her.  He made his way over to her.  “Hey, Peridot.  We’re getting ready to leave.”

“So soon?” she asked.

“Uh…yeah.  We completed the mission, so now we’re heading back to Earth.”

Spark put an arm around Peridot.  “No…I just lost Bright Eyes…you can’t leave me too.”

Peridot considered this.  Things might change here and she could stay with Spark and the other peridots doing her job.  However, Earth had set her free.  She’d never see Steven or the other Crystal Gems again.  Lapis would be rather lonely in the barn all by herself.  Homeworld was no longer her home.  “I don’t want to leave, but I belong with the Crystal Gems…on Earth.” 

They embraced, knowing they’d probably never see each other again.  Peridot then stood and made her way toward the ship.  Steven went to follow but his eyes fell on Jasper who was kneeling on the floor, facing the wall.  He cautiously made his way over.  “Hey…Jasper…”

“What?”  Her tone was gravelly with a hint of annoyance. 

“Thank you for your help.”

“Did you accomplish what you set out to do?”

“Yeah.  We’re taking our friends to Earth,” Steven told her. 

Jasper stood, but refused to face him.  “Then the next time we meet – if ever – we will not be allies.”

Steven had inwardly hoped Jasper would have a change of heart, that she’d maybe want to come back to Earth or even join the Crystal Gems.  He was slightly let down, but realized her home had always been here and she’d been trying to get back for a very long time…maybe to see her child who was now gone.  “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I’m sorry you lost your daughter.”

She sighed heavily, still not looking at him.  “Good-bye, Steven.”

Steven walked toward the ship, joining Amethyst and Peridot as they made their way on board to leave behind Homeworld and hopefully never return. 

*

                Jasper wanted to stay in the area where she’d lost Rayne for a long time, but already, pearls were gathering the dead so the peridots could catalog everyone lost into a publishable list…then ensure they received a proper burial.  She gave Rayne’s remains to one of the pearls and then slowly made her way toward the exit of the tech hub.  She heard someone behind her and turned to see Topaz there.  “What do you want?”

                “I-I’m sorry for…”

                “Everyone’s sorry!  It doesn’t bring her back!”

                “I lost someone too…it’s hard but I thought maybe we could…help each other.”

                “Leave me alone.”  Topaz was the last gem she wanted to see right now.  Her mind pulled the events of the previous hours from its reservoir of memories.  In the heat of battle, she’d been able to briefly put aside her feelings about the assault she’d had to endure, but now those wounds opened again and the thought of Topaz even looking at her made her feel angry and ashamed.  Even in her uniform and layers of armor, she felt naked and vulnerable in front of this other gem.  Jasper felt her face flush…in fact she felt an unfamiliar fire spread through her body.  Her legs threatened to give out under her as she suddenly felt weak as though all her strength was being zapped from within her.  She put a hand on the wall to steady herself.

                “Are you okay?” Topaz asked.

                Jasper nodded even though something was very wrong.  She sank to the floor and instinctively put a hand to her stomach.  No, nothing was wrong…everything was going according to plan.  While she’d been fighting, while she’d mourned her lost child, the natural process of life within her continued unabated.  She’d spent a lot of energy in battle and her body had also been using energy to pull cells together and settle the newly formed eggs in her womb, now leaving her feeling frail.  The eggs required a large amount of internal heat to grow and thrive while still inside.  The flush that was now enveloping her was proof that she was now undeniably pregnant.  The thought terrified her and she attempted to push away Topaz who had knelt beside her.  “Stay away from me.”

                “We’re in this together.”

                “I didn’t choose to be…”  Jasper hardly had strength for words right now and just wanted to lay down for a while somewhere comfortable.  She saw something blue out of the corner of her eye and noticed Skinny kneeling beside them.  She placed a soft hand against Jasper’s cheek; it felt cool and welcome.

                “She’s burning up,” Skinny said.

                “Get that peridot – the one with the spiky hair,” Topaz instructed her. 

                “Spark,” Jasper whispered. 

                Skinny dashed off.  Topaz moved closer and wrapped her arms around Jasper, who tried again to push her away, but ultimately was too weak to do so.  Her insides clenched at the touch, at Topaz smoothing her hair.  Suddenly, Spark was by her side.  “Don’t worry.  If you remember the training, this is normal.  We’re not supposed to suggest this, but with Yellow Diamond gone, I guess I can.  There is a procedure we can do…to extract the eggs now while they’re too immature to thrive on their own.  It would reverse everything done and you wouldn’t be pregnant anymore.” 

                That hadn’t been in their training and Jasper wondered how it would even work.  Part of her didn’t care, but there was that maternal half that wanted to hang onto these gemlings.  She looked at Topaz who appeared shocked at such a suggestion.  It wouldn’t reverse everything; it would not erase the violation she’d been put through.  It was an awfully tempting thought though…to not have to go through with this…to strike back at Topaz by destroying her offspring.

                “Before you answer, I want you to remember something I told you after…all this,” Spark said.  “I instructed you not to fuse with any other gem at the risk of their DNA getting mixed in.”

                Jasper now remembered Spark saying that, but had forgotten it in the midst of fighting…when she’d grown desperate for more power and had fused with…

                Skinny laughed.  “Wait, what?”

                “There’s a chance these gemlings might be yours,” Spark told her.  “Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell until they’re hatched, but it could be all of them or none of them or anywhere in between.”

                “But…I wasn’t selected for the program…I was told…”  Skinny went silent for a moment.  “As much as I might want any children that might be mine, it’s Jasper’s body and her decision.”

                “I disagree,” Topaz said.  “If they are my gemlings…half of myself and my partner whom I lost…then I want them.  I get a say in this, too, and I don’t think she should do this…this procedure.”

                Jasper glared at Topaz.  “I didn’t have a say in mating with you…you, of all gems, have no say in my decision.”

                “You wouldn’t really…”  Topaz’s eyes glistened.

                The thought enticed her…but as much as her union with Topaz had not been her decision, she and Skinny had come together of their own free will.  Skinny had wanted to join the program and have children.  Not only that, the gemlings were also half of herself.  She allowed her mind to transport her back to the Beta Kindergarten, to when Rayne was a baby.  Jasper remembered her tiny hands, her soft hair, the way she cooed at both her mothers…when they witnessed her first smile, how her head rolled back and she slept soundly after feeding.  Jasper remembered holding those small hands and letting go as Rayne took her first steps, recalled her early training days when it seemed like she made every mistake possible in the beginning and how proud she made both of them when she finally got it right.

_I love you too, Mom…_

                Even if she’d known how it would end, Jasper would do it all over again.  Raising Rayne had been full of joys and sorrows, of triumphs and tribulations, but she wouldn’t trade a moment of it.  In the end, Rayne knew who she was. 

                Jasper was a mother and she would be again.  “Please help me to my living quarters.  I need to get out of this armor.” 

                “So, you’re going to keep them?”  Topaz asked hopefully. 

                “Yes.”  Jasper wasn’t exactly sure how all this would work out, but right now all she wanted was rest.  She wanted to go back to her quarters and sink into her large bed surrounded by pillows of different sizes and shapes and try to cool down even a little.  In any case, she’d be comfortable.

                Spark watched as Jasper leaned against Topaz and walked off with Skinny beside them.  She returned to the tech hub, pausing to accept a hug from Melody before heading to the area where Bright Eyes used to work.  She remembered them – all three of them – herself, Bright Eyes and Peri – sitting at their respective stations years ago, gradually becoming friends.  She recalled them making their plans and discussing the rebellion they’d started.  Now, no one really knew how any of this would play out, but she knew one thing as she stared at the station where Bright Eyes used to sit.  Despite her grief, it seemed only right to grieve their end the same way they’d begun – with singing – with a refrain of sorrow. 

_There's a grief that can't be spoken._

_There's a pain goes on and on._

_Empty chairs at empty tables_

_Now my friends are dead and gone._

_Here they talked of revolution._

_Here it was they lit the flame._

_Here they sang about tomorrow_

_And tomorrow never came._

_Oh my friends, my friends forgive me_

_That I live and you are gone._

_There's a grief that can't be spoken._

_There's a pain goes on and on._

_Phantom faces at the windows._

_Phantom shadows on the floor._

_Empty chairs at empty tables_

_Where my friends will meet no more._

_Oh my friends, my friends, don't ask me_

_What your sacrifice was for_

_Empty chairs at empty tables_

_Where my friends will sing no more_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" lyrics from Les Miserables by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg.


	17. Together

** Together **

                The first thing Blue Diamond did was declare a week of mourning on Homeworld, which gave her time to grieve the loss of the other two Diamonds.  She froze laws as they were, entrusting the remaining soldiers of the Yellow Army to quickly deal with any trouble until a permanent, stable government was established.  As the last Diamond left, she knew the gems wouldn’t hesitate to turn on her if she didn’t tread carefully. 

                In the following week, she met with representatives of each gem caste to hear what they had to say and the things they desired seemed to be shared among them – equality, respect, the chance to be an individual.  It would occur to her that a unified government was the most stable way to go with diplomats to represent different gem types and bring their concerns to the table. 

                Yellow Diamond’s breeding program was shut down immediately.  Blue Diamond had never approved of that, though she conceded that love was no longer outlawed. 

Jasper, confined to her living quarters while her fever raged and her stomach expanded, only heard of this through Skinny and Topaz.  She couldn’t remember inviting either of them to stay, though Skinny’s presence was at least welcome.  She brought cooling pads to place on Jasper’s forehead though she couldn’t bring her temperature down too much as that wasn’t good for the eggs.  At least that was according to the information Topaz kept telling them that she got from Spark about what Jasper should or shouldn’t do to ensure the eggs developed properly and stayed healthy. 

“You shouldn’t expend too much energy, so rest is important,” Topaz read off the screen.  “If you want more energy you should ingest a slurry of minerals and water particularly minerals found in the type of gem they will be.” 

                From that point on, Skinny brought her a bowl of slurry every day made of red sandstone.  Jasper had never actually liked eating, but she swallowed it knowing she and Skinny were made of the same stuff.  Perhaps it would help ensure jasper gemlings.

                At the end of the month, the first election took place on Homeworld to decide on who each group wanted to represent them.  Spark had just returned to her station after casting her ballot when Skinny approached her hurriedly.  “It’s happening!  We’re not sure what to do!”

                “First of all, calm down.  Jasper’s body will know what to do.  This is all a natural process.”  Spark went with Skinny, stopping by the hatchery to procure an incubator big enough for eight eggs in case there were that many.  She also brought along some cooling pads and towels.  They arrived quickly at Jasper’s quarters.  “Get a bowl with some water, please,” Spark instructed Skinny. 

                Jasper lay in her bed, which was a rather impressive cushion secured in a depression in the ground.  She was on her side, holding her swollen stomach and attempting not to cry out in pain.  Topaz was by her side, stroking her hair, which was damp with sweat.  Spark grabbed a sheet from the bed and unfolded it.  “Jasper, I need you to phase off your uniform.”

                “No.”

                “I’ll cover you, but if you try and deliver like this, the eggs won’t be able to get out.” 

                Jasper’s gaze flickered to Topaz and as if sensing her embarrassment, the yellow gem turned around.  Jasper complied, getting rid of her clothing and allowing Spark to cover her with the sheet.  Spark put a hand on the soldier’s forehead before pulling on a pair of gloves.  “I need you to turn on your back.”

                Jasper groaned and shifted position.  She heard Spark say she’d feel her hand between her legs but didn’t expect it to go all the way inside and roared in frustration.  “What the hell?”

                “It’s to check and see how close you are to delivering the eggs and you’re pretty close.” 

                She tried to remember how Snow dealt with passing the egg, but the pain was making it hard to focus on anything except the overwhelming need to push.  It was nothing like she’d ever felt before, like she was being ripped apart.  Skinny was by her side again, placing something cool on her forehead.  Jasper didn’t even really notice that Topaz had turned back around and had a hand on her shoulder, the other hand rubbing her belly.  Part of her wanted to be entirely alone and another part was grateful for their support.  She growled when Topaz tried to see what was happening.  “Hey!  You stay up here!”  It was bad enough having Spark so close to her most private area, but it seemed a necessity and she was silently glad a medical gem was there in case anything went wrong. 

                As it turned out, Jasper’s body did exactly as it was supposed to and after a while, she was able to relax after delivering four eggs.  Spark pressed on her stomach and felt inside, confirming there weren’t more.  Jasper lay back against the pillows breathing heavily, never wanting to go through this again.  She felt Skinny lift the sheet and place it over her chest.  She hadn’t even noticed it slipping down.  She wasn’t so embarrassed around Skinny who had become a pretty good friend over the past month, but her relationship with Topaz was still strained as they’d never really resolved anything.  There just didn’t seem to be anything that could be said about what they’d been put through. 

                Spark used a towel to clean her up and to wipe off the eggs before placing them in the incubator.  “This will keep them warm.  Your body will cool down in the next couple of days and your energy level will return to normal.  When the eggs are within a week of hatching, you’ll notice you get warmer again – nothing like it’s been this past month, but warmer – and you’ll start producing milk.  You’ll feel your breasts get tender and heavier.  When they’re born, they’ll need to be around you pretty much all the time for the first few weeks or so until they can produce their own body heat effectively.” 

                Jasper nodded in understanding, thoroughly exhausted.  She rolled on her side, making sure the sheet was effectively covering her, but not bothering to make her uniform reappear.  Her eyes fell on the incubator; the eggs were gray, not letting on what kind of gemlings might emerge from them when the time was right.  Skinny moved the cooling pad so it lay on Jasper’s head without help and placed a hand on her cheek.  “Thank you for giving me the chance to be a mother.”

                Topaz rubbed her back.  “I know the circumstances weren’t ideal, but I’m grateful to you, too.”

                She shifted uncomfortably, her insides turning to ice feeling Topaz’s hand on her bare skin.  “Weren’t ideal?” Jasper repeated.  “Do you think I’ve forgotten what you did to me?  I know you were under the influence of whatever they gave you, but every time you touch me, I remember.  I know you’re sorry; I know you ordinarily wouldn’t ever do something like that – it doesn’t matter.  It’s going to take a long time before I can move on from that…if I ever can...” 

                “I don’t actually remember a lot about what happened – what I did – all I knew was that I hurt you terribly and I know I can never erase that or make up for it, but I’ll try to do whatever I can to show you I’m not going to hurt you.” 

                “You can try but I’m not sure I can ever fully trust you.”  Jasper yawned, allowing her eyes to close as fatigue overwhelmed her.

                And she did make an effort, in the coming days that became weeks and months, as they watched the eggs turn darker and harder becoming geodes.  She allowed both Skinny and Topaz to share her quarters…and her bed.  Though, while she permitted Skinny to lay close to her in order to relax, Topaz was instructed to stay on the other side.  Jasper conversed with her, even tried to be nice, but those memories were always there and even when they found something to laugh about, she always had her guard up and stiffened if Topaz touched her.  She tried to remind herself that in reality, it had ultimately been Yellow Diamond’s doing, that on some level, Topaz was also a victim of the breeding program.  However, Topaz hadn’t been the one restrained on the table.  Even if what she’d done haunted her on some level, Jasper couldn’t forget that she’d said she didn’t remember much when Jasper remembered everything.  She remembered every touch, every ounce of pain, every negative feeling that had swirled in her mind as it was happening and sometimes when she’d least expect it, just Topaz’s touch or the sound of her voice could make all this come back to her and she’d feel just as broken as she did that day in the breeding room.

                “I don’t get it, Spark…am I the only one who feels this way?” she asked one day as she walked with the technician down the hall. 

                “As far as I know, you’re the only one who remembers.  Usually, the carriers are in the same state the sires and don’t recall much of the actual breeding.  Not to say they aren’t affected by it, but what happened in your case should have never happened.”

                “This breeding program should have never happened.”  Jasper glanced over as they passed the nursery.  There were multiple gemlings there being tended to now by rose quartz gems who were much more maternal than peridots.  “I thought they were back with their families.”

                “Most of them have at least one living parent, though they can be dropped off here for care while their parents are working.  However, some of them were orphaned in the rebellion.” 

                Jasper felt something clamp onto her leg and looking down saw the gemling who had challenged her all those months ago.  She immediately felt guilty; in her grief of losing Rayne, she’d completely forgotten her promise to return and see her.  The child, however, didn’t seem to mind as she didn’t have the same sense of time.  She looked up at Jasper and smiled.  “You comes back!”

                “Yes, I did.”  Jasper knelt down and let the gemling climb into her arms.  “How are you?” 

                “Good.  I waited.  They said my mama coming so I waited for you.”

                She wanted to tell this little one that she wasn’t her mother, but then remembered what Spark had said and turned to her.  “Did her parents make it?”

                Spark consulted her screen.  “No, she’s one of the orphans.” 

                Jasper stroked the gemling’s hair.  “Do you want me to be your mama?”

                “You are my mama,” the toddler said with absolute certainty. 

                “Alright then,” Jasper laughed. 

                “You’re going to take care of a gemling that isn’t even yours?” Spark asked.  “I don’t understand…”

                “I know I didn’t make her, but I’m going to care for her and raise her.  She’s my daughter now, every bit as much as the gemlings in my eggs.” 

                One of the nannies chuckled affectionately.  “You’ll have your hands full.  That one is a little whirlwind.”

                “I’m a wind!”  The gemling proclaimed proudly. 

                And she was, the way she had blown into Jasper’s life and brought joy as they got to know each other.  So, Jasper named her Wynde.  Even Skinny and Topaz seemed taken with her.  She went to the nursery during the day as they all had to return to training in the army.  Just because they were no longer at war with themselves didn’t mean there wouldn’t be future battles to be fought.  At night, she slept on a cushion by the big bed…for about half the night, but inevitably would end up in the bed usually in Skinny’s arms or nestled in Jasper’s mane. 

                Close to eight months after the eggs had started incubating, Jasper began to notice the changes in her body she’d been anticipating starting with her uniform feeling tight around her chest causing discomfort.  She kept inspecting the geodes and one morning shortly after these changes began noticed a crack in one of them.  The maternal instincts she’d tried to keep at bay kicked in and she extracted the geode from the incubator, holding it close to her.  She lay down in bed keeping it warm with her own body heat and waited hours.  Skinny sat cross-legged by the bed with Wynde in her lap and Jasper allowed Topaz to lay behind her and watch as more cracks spread across the geode. 

                “Should we help her?” Skinny asked.  “She’s taking a long time.”

                Jasper shook her head.  “That might do more harm than good.”  A piece of the geode broke off and a yellow foot stuck out.  Jasper was already a little let down.  Clearly, this one would not be from her and Skinny, but was from her experience with Topaz.  More material fell away and the gemling lay there clearly wiped out from breaking free of its stony prison.  She was yellow with brown stripes and a dark brown mane.  Her gem was shaped like Jasper’s but on the side of her head.  She was a tiger’s eye…just as Topaz had said their gemlings would be.

                Topaz reached out and touched her.  “She’s so beautiful…Jasper isn’t she?”

                “She’s…” Jasper looked at the little gem who stared back at her with large yellow eyes…her eyes.  She reached out and stroked her hair which felt much the same as hers.  Yes, she was half of Topaz…and also half of her.  Her maternal side was completely in control now and for the first time in months, she didn’t care that Topaz was so close.  She held the baby to her.  “Yes, she’s beautiful.”

                “Can we name her Sunny?” Topaz asked.

                Jasper nodded as the little one cried out for something and she felt the fabric over her breasts dampen.  She hesitated briefly, but ultimately pulled down the strap on one side to nurse Sunny who latched on immediately as though she were starving.

                By the end of the next day, the other geodes had hatched revealing two healthy-looking jaspers with the same gems where their noses should be and another one much smaller and much thinner with a gem matching Skinny’s.  With Topaz’s stature and the fact they’d actually mated, Jasper had expected more tiger’s eye gems or even another topaz, but apparently the fusion with Skinny had made three of them jaspers.  Jasper wanted to name one after Snow and the other after Rayne, but those names felt too sacred and it felt too soon to give one them Rayne’s name as though she was replacing her.  She ended up choosing the names Flurry and Misty.  Skinny named the smallest gemling Skye.

                “When can they play?” Wynde asked.  Her speech was getting better every day. 

                “Not for a while.  They have a lot of growing to do,” Jasper told her. 

                Over the next few weeks their preferences became apparent.  Flurry and Misty were rarely apart and cried if separated.  They slept on the same schedule and were hungry at the same time.  They seemed to prefer snuggling up against Jasper’s belly occasionally making her shift if one of them moved and accidentally tickled her.  Skye liked sleeping on or near Jasper’s head, probably because her hair held a lot of heat.  In fact, she liked sleeping in general and often had to be woken up to eat.  Eating was not a problem for Sunny, who slept right next to Jasper’s chest for easy access whenever she was hungry, which was often.  Every few hours, she’d latch on and feed; more than once Jasper had woken up herself to feel that familiar discomfort of her daughter sucking milk greedily from her.  “You’re a little glutton, you know that?” 

                “She needs to eat for energy,” Topaz said. 

                “She should store extra energy in her gem, but she’s getting kind of fat, meaning I think she’s eating too much.”  However, Jasper couldn’t exactly tell her no, because the few times she’d pushed Sunny away from her the baby would cry loudly.  “Okay fine,” she’d tell the gemling.  “Just save some for your sisters, for Diamond’s sake.”

                 When they were a month old, Spark came to visit, taking time out from her diplomatic duties in the government.  The Great Diamond Authority was no more.  Era Three had begun with the establishment of the United Gem Authority and Spark had been surprised to be elected to represent the technicians.  She had expressed her thought that she assumed Melody would be chosen, but apparently, most of the Era Two peridots felt it was time for a change.  It meant she gave up her medical job and stayed very busy as things were still being sorted out, but getting better.  She sat on the floor next to the bed and looked at the babies.  “They seem healthy, but weren’t there four?”

                Jasper reached up into her hair and pulled out Skye, setting her down by her sisters.  More mobile now, Skye immediately tried to climb back up.  Jasper placed some of her long hair near the baby who cooed appreciatively, yawned and fell asleep again.  “This one is Skye.  Then we have Flurry, Misty and Fatty.”

                “Jasper, you know that’s not her name,” Topaz said.

                “Alright, we named her Sunny, but seriously, when do they get weaned?”

                Spark laughed.  “Not for a while, but once their teeth come in, they can start eating rocks and other mineral-rich foods.  In the meantime, I should be able to get you some rock powder to mix with water; it won’t taste like your milk to them, but if you need a break and they’re hungry enough, they’ll eat it.  It’s what we used to feed the babies in the nursery.”

                Jasper knew from experience it could take up to a year and a half for them to have enough teeth to eat solid foods. “How many gemlings resulted from Yellow Diamond’s breeding program?”

                “Four hundred and sixty-eight,” Spark said.  “And there are currently thirty eggs incubating.”

                “But the program was stopped.”  Jasper looked down, rolled her eyes and pulled down the top of her uniform for Sunny.  “How could there be more eggs?”

                “Well, it’s kind of strange, but the program seems to have jump started these natural processes again.  The new eggs aren’t from technological meddling, but from gems who came together on their own.  So, we’ve reopened that area as a fertility clinic.  We have the technology to give gems the ability if they want it.” 

                “So, gems are randomly going into heat?”  Skinny asked.

                “Not randomly.  There are usually a few cycles a year when they’re fertile and natural heat is not anything like it was under the influence of our serums.  Both parties feel an increase in body temperature and the desire to mate, along with a heightened sense of smell, but it is possible for them to ignore that desire and not act on it.  Their base instincts tell them to mate, but their higher thinking is intact allowing them to make a decision whether they should or not and to respect if the gem they want to be with says no.”

                “And if they don’t respect it?”  Jasper wanted to know.

                “That’s been classified as a punishable crime.”

                Jasper knew Topaz would not be punished and part of her had realized over the months they’d spent together that the other gem was not any kind of monster.  In fact, she could be incredibly sweet and a little innocent sometimes, which spoke volumes about the evil of that breeding program and she was glad it was over with.  She also realized Topaz was no longer a fusion and if she dared try to attack, Jasper would probably have an easy time fighting her off.  No one was going to restrain her and force her to do that again.  Jasper had stopped being overly-hostile toward Topaz, though she knew the memories would never go away, she still found it hard to trust and she still wasn’t entirely comfortable being touched by her.  Healing, she found, was a process and she wasn’t sure exactly how long it would take.  Maybe it would take the rest of her life; at least for now they could live together amicably.

                Every day, their gemlings grew and seemed to discover new things like crawling, which they discovered when Misty and Flurry decided to be adventurous and made their way out of the bed and halfway to the door before Skinny picked them up.  Jasper and Topaz set up a playpen, which worked until the two explorers found they could climb over it.  They were walking before long and got their teeth, which prompted Jasper to ‘close up the milk machine’ as she put it and made them stick to solid foods.  She loved her children, but she was also ready for her body to start returning to normal again.

                Skinny had a natural maternal instinct and was great with the babies.  This earned her a position training the little ones who were now ready to begin learning to be the future soldiers of Homeworld, such as Wynde, who at this point was close to four and had never lost her fighting spirit.  The first day after training, she ran up to Jasper.  “Okay, I’m ready to fight you!”

                “You sure you don’t want to challenge Skinny?”

                “Nope!”

                “This is the decision you’re making?”

                Wynde paused to think for a moment.  “Yes!”

                Jasper proceeded to gently knock Wynde onto a nearby pillow causing her to giggle.  “Someday you’ll defeat me, but not today.”

                It might have seemed odd to other gems that Jasper, Skinny and Topaz were all together raising these gemlings, but for them it had become normal.  They had established routines to try and give equal time to their children, only finally relaxing themselves when all of the little ones were sleeping.  

                It was nearly two years into the new era of Homeworld and as they lay there listening to the gemlings softly breathing in their slumber, there was a definite sense of peace surrounding them as they closed their own eyes.  They didn’t need sleep, but this felt right – all three of them laying side by side.  Whatever relationship this was, wherever this journey might take them, they were in this together and that was enough.

~Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe we're finally at the end either - this has been a labor of love, a joy to write and I hope all of you enjoyed reading it - please let me know by leaving a comment or kudos! :)   
> I am still working on Earning Her Stripes - so if you like Human A/U fics feel free to check that one out - I'm not sure what I'll be writing after that - maybe more smutty fics, who knows. :)


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